Seabreeze
by Yavapai
Summary: A collection of Haruka and Michiru oneshots.
1. Voyeurs

**Edited 1/31/07**

A/N: So basically, _Seabreeze _is going to be a collection, an ode of sorts to Haruka and Michiru. I have no plans for the actual number of one-shots. They'll come when I get the inspiration and ideas. My writing skills aren't the best. In fact, compared to some of the HM fics I've read...they suck. This first one, has a slightly different style then probably what I'll normally use, mostly to go with the light-hearted tone of this one-shot. It's a little...well, you'll see...

None of these one-shots are related to each other in any way…except if I let you know. Expect these one-shots to be all over the place too. This one and the next one I have planned are both post Sailor Stars. Others might be in the Sailor Moon story line. Others might take place in the Silver Millennium or Crystal Tokyo. So don't get comfy with thinking they're all going to be post Sailor Stars. And the rating too, will be all over the place.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

**Voyeurs**

By Yavapai

It had been a long day. They had woken up in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. Michiru had shot up from a dream, sweat lightly beaded on her face, nearly startling Haruka off the bed. As soon as both of them had regained their senses, they could feel their respective elements calling out to them; the oceans restless and the winds gusty. Right on cue, Setsuna had appeared in their doorway ignoring her housemates' lack of clothes. A brief conversation later and it was decided that the Time Guardian would stay home to let their eleven year-old daughter get a full night's rest for school the next day.

Never mind that they had classes themselves in a few hours. One might just raise an eyebrow at the unconventional family. Their neighbors certainly did, but they found each other all to be pleasant enough folk in the end. Except for that one teenaged boy across the street who Haruka thought must be a daimon or youma or something. If for no other reason than the fact that he was always watching Michiru and when he had friends over, which was often, they all watched Michiru too.

The communicator beeped in just as they were running out the door as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune and a sleepy-voiced Sailor Mercury gave them any and all instructions. Really, the creature would not stand a chance against the Sailor Team. But it had to be destroyed. So destroy it they did. But not before Uranus, rather blindly rushing in with the Space Sword trying to end the battle quickly, rather stupidly (according to Neptune) got injured. Neptune paused in mid-battle, breathless at first; afraid for her partner, friend, and lover, but more chiding once she realized that Uranus was just fine. Nothing more than a scratch.

Uranus sat there, having the intelligence to look sheepish as her partner berated her on carelessness in the middle of battle. Talk about carelessness. It was Uranus who spotted the stray attack from the monster heading their way from the skirmish between it and the Inner Senshi. She sprang then, knocking Neptune to the ground, the attack passing harmlessly over them. Distantly, she could hear Sailor Moon give the final blow after the Inners pinned it with a few well-place attacks. But she was more focused on Neptune who lay beneath her looking innocent, blinking those ever gorgeous sea-blue eyes. Uranus was straddling her partner, arms on either side, a very provocative position indeed. Not that they weren't used to provocative positions…

"Look whose careless now." Uranus said, a smile gracing her features.

"Ara?"

"I saved you."

"My hero." Neptune giggled with a roll of her eyes as their lips met. Damned Sailor fuku, they could never get it off. Obviously, both of them had conveniently forgotten their companions.

"Ahem."

Eh…whoops…oh yes, they weren't alone after all.

"Do you mind? We're busy here." Uranus responded. Neptune abruptly pushed her off.

The Senshi of the Seas stood up, running a hand through her aqua locks, elegant and beautiful as always, despite the fact that she had just been thoroughly kissed.

"I apologize everyone; sometimes my partner gets a little…affectionate." Even Sailor Neptune winced at her words.

Uranus stood up besides her, a little more disheveled, but just as impressive. "Oh, so it's just me? I certainly felt your ton-"

"Ooookay." Rei interrupted. "Because you two would rather be making out then fighting the monster…"

"Eh, I knew you had it under control. So I thought of something better to do." Uranus smirked. And she _had_ recognized that the Inners had the situation under control before making the move on Neptune. She was still a Senshi after all and her battle senses and skills were honed and sharpened to a deadly degree.

And so Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune left the battle site…unaware of leaving five curious, scheming girls in their wake.

And the long day had continued. Haruka fell asleep in every one of her classes. And Michiru even complained of how incredibly long and boring they felt during the day. Then after school, they picked up Hotaru and took her home. Haruka was then chased for nearly an hour by worshipping, giggling girls, which she had to admit, she brought slightly upon herself with some innocent flirting, while Michiru practiced violin with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Being a young, sought after musician had its demands.

Then Haruka sped Michiru home to make dinner and get ready for her art show later that evening. As soon as they shared a brief kiss, and Michiru was in the door being greeted exuberantly by Hotaru, who waved to Haruka, the blonde was off to the racetrack for another hour, practicing and taking a good look at her car before rushing back home for dinner.

A relatively relaxing dinner, a shower later, a tux thrown on, Michiru looking even more incredible than normal in a silky smooth black formal dress (with a generous split Haruka noted with a pleased grin) that showed off all her curves and slenderness and they were out the door. Hotaru and Setsuna waved goodbye; Michiru had insisted that they did not have to come; it was some of her older artwork that she proclaimed everyone important to her had already seen.

It wasn't like the art show was boring. They would be the first to say that they were never bored when they were with each other, but it seemed to go on a bit longer than necessary. Michiru's art was well received. But when wasn't it? Numerous compliments, a glass or two of champagne (everyone overlooked the fact that they were underage) and three long hours later, the two arrived home.

Hotaru had just gone to bed, they had just missed her, Setsuna told them from her position curled up on the couch reading a…of course…mystery novel. She had an image to keep up after all. She looked freshly showered, green hair damp on her shoulders, dressed in her normal sleep attire of pajama pants and camisole.

Michiru slipped off her heels, and made her way upstairs to Hotaru's room, to tell her adopted daughter goodnight. Haruka bypassed the stairs and went down the hallway to their own master bedroom.

She threw off her jacket and tie, and unbuttoned the top couple buttons of her shirt. She paused at the bedroom door, and looked back toward their large bay window. There was a nice breeze tonight; one that earlier, Michiru had mentioned carried the smell and sound of the ocean over that of city. She went back and opened the three separate windows that made up their bay window, smiling as a breeze flew in, lifting the curtains. She left their bedroom, waved to Setsuna who had looked up when she came back into the living room, made her way upstairs, and stood in the doorway of Hotaru's room watching the two within in the beam of light that escaped by her from the hallway.

Haruka stole a kiss as Michiru brushed by, finished from telling Hotaru goodnight. She felt the aqua-haired girl smile against her lips.

"I'm going to go change. Then I need to finish my paper on the relationship between music and physics. And I know that you've got some reading on your own mechanical physics."

Haruka grimaced, but put on a smile as she watched Michiru walk away with a sway to her hips. She kept the smile as she turned to Hotaru, peeking out at her Haruka-papa from underneath the covers.

Haruka joined Michiru and Setsuna in the family room a few minutes later. Setsuna was still curled up on the couch, novel in one hand, and a cup of tea in the other. Michiru, sitting cross-legged on the floor, had her books and own cup of tea spread out before her on the coffee table. She was dressed about as down as anyone ever saw her, a pair of Haruka's old track shorts and her own spaghetti-strap top with a thin blanket thrown over her shoulders.

Right now, Haruka didn't care about mechanical physics.

"Aha! Haruka-chan, I know that look! Can you two at least wait till I go to bed?" Setsuna calmly said…despite the first original outburst, which rather startled Haruka. It was this more than the expectant, raised eyebrow of her housemate that sent a pouting Haruka back to her room to get her books.

Setsuna could be…well…startling. Haruka swore it was more of her impeccable sense of timing due to being the Time Guardian than any natural surprising or scaring ability she possessed.

"Don't worry Setsuna-san. We've got work to do first." Michiru said, giving her partner a look.

Haruka plopped down besides Michiru at the coffee table with a groan. Damn mechanical physics. Often when Hotaru was up they would do any homework at the table to encourage good study habits. Okay, they were hypocrites. Contrary to popular belief, they couldn't be perfect all the time. And not to mention Hotaru was exceptionally smart for her age and they wanted it would remain that way.

Haruka noticed for the first time that evening that some soft violin music playing in the background, Michiru's second album. It was Setsuna's favorite, classical sounds, with some amazing bridged key changes. Michiru's latest album was Hotaru's favorite; still classical of course, but a bit more of a contemporary twinge. Haruka could never pick out which one was her favorite, but she did prefer the live concert recordings…mostly because they were accompanied by memories of what happened in the dressing room after those concerts.

So Haruka settled down next to Michiru, mechanical physics out. For awhile the three of them sat there in a peaceful silence, the only sounds being Michiru's violin music, an occasional page turn from Setsuna, Michiru's pencil scratching against the paper as she wrote notes, and Haruka rustling in impatience. She knew this stuff already.

Surprisingly unknown to the three rather perceptive Outer Senshi, they were being watched...

…

"Ugh…how long are they going to keep this up? I'm ready for something to happen!" Minako exclaimed falling back into the grass of the front yard of the Outer Senshi home.

"What exactly do you want to happen?" Rei whispered fiercely.

"Oh, Rei-chan, you know why we're here. Don't deny it." Minako replied, not all trying to be secretive, propping herself up on her elbows. Despite being dressed in black, complete with dark smudges under her eyes, her golden hair was impossible to hide, even under the black hat.

Rei blushed, she couldn't deny why she was here. The same reason Usagi was here, and Makoto, and even Ami.

Granted, Ami kept saying this was a bad idea…but she was still here.

In fact, this had been an all day adventure for the Sailor Team.

This morning's rather charged embrace between Uranus and Neptune had aroused a curiosity of some sorts. It was Minako's idea. A Minako investigation on love she called it. Usagi had supported fully. She had always been curious of Haruka…and her relationship with Michiru. It wasn't a surprise when Makoto agreed too…she was a sucker for love as well and had also been hung up on Haruka at one point. Rei proclaiming that she had to keep Usagi in line had also agreed. But she wasn't fooling anybody, except maybe herself and Usagi. And Ami…well…with the pressure from the others and also maybe a minimal amount of curiosity herself came along too.

Of course they had to go to school themselves. But immediately after school, they met up and hunted down their query. It had been rather hard to keep up at times, but changing into Sailor Senshi had its advantages. Like increased speed, and being able to bound across rooftops with ease. And there a thrill to it too, all thought they would get caught at some point. It's hard to hide when you're a Sailor Senshi.

They had split up when their query did. Usagi, Minako, and Makoto easily blended in and were quite amused by the crowd of girls chasing Haruka. There was one brief moment of fright when Minako and Makoto thought Usagi was going to be trampled, but it all turned out okay in the end. Ami and Rei, meanwhile, had spent quite a pleasant hour listening to Michiru and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra practice. Using Ami's computer and a bit of stealth they were able to sneak in backstage with ease.

Then there was some more bounding across rooftops and a lot of panting when they arrived at the Outer Senshi home.

Usagi and Rei had remained behind at the house with Michiru. Rei deduced that Michiru spent way to much time in the shower…but she chalked that up to the whole Senshi of the Seas thing. Disaster had almost struck when Michiru was cooking. Usagi had nearly broken through the kitchen window to get to the hibachi shrimp when the violinist had turned around. Luckily Rei, flung herself onto her princess, saving both of them. Though Usagi had let out a shriek, and there was a brief moment of fear as Michiru peered out of the window. Again, luckily, Rei had flung herself onto Usagi in such a way it left them pressed against the wall right below the window and out of Michiru's eyesight. They had decided it would be best to call the others to bring them back something to eat after that.

Minako, Makoto, and Ami, surprisingly, followed Haruka to the racetrack. Ami said something about investigating the speed and mechanics of Haruka's car. The other two let it go, long use to Ami by now. The only problem they encountered was traveling back with a rather large amount of food with them...and convincing Makoto that they didn't have time for her to cook them all something. Haruka had gotten way ahead of them, but they put faith into the fact that she was most likely going home.

The five reunited friends sat down for picnic supper in the backyard of the Outer Senshi home, hidden by bushes to be safe, just as their friends were doing the same inside.

There was a bit of excitement when Michiru and Haruka came down and left for the art show an hour later. Haruka had opened Michiru's car door and claimed a quick kiss.

"Sugoi! Aren't they just the perfect couple?" Minako exclaimed, hearts in her eyes. "They are probably going to go on some romantic date! And then there will be dancing! And flowers! And music! And then Haruka-san will propose! Michiru-san will say yes of course! The wedding! Oh it'll be marvelous! Michiru-san will be so beautiful in a marriage kimono! And Haruka-san so handsome! We'll all be invited! And there…" Minako was getting herself carried a way with the whole idea, but none of her friends put a stop to it.

Usagi echoed Minako's sentiments, tears in her eyes and hands clasped in front of her in exuberance.

Rei and Makoto just exchanged exasperated glances.

"They really do make a great couple. It's great that two people can find happiness with each other. Especially with all that they have had to go through." Ami put in objectively, computer closed and a smile upon her face. "We had our doubts about them in the beginning…but they are amazing aren't they. It's rare to find that kind love. Usagi-chan you are so lucky!"

With that, Ami gave a sad sort of smile. One that her friends didn't miss. Following that, there was some hugging and reassuring smiles all around. Then they transformed and were off after their teammates again.

(None of them were aware of the dark eyes watching them from right most living room window of the house.

"Usagi-chan, minna, I know your secret!" And the Messiah of Silence laughed.

"Hime-chan…why are you laughing?" Setsuna peered into the living room.

The Messiah of Silence coughed. "Nothing Setsuna-mama." Hotaru replied sweetly. Really, she knew she had an overactive imagination. "Just the neighbors.")

Minako had been rather disappointed when they arrived at Haruka and Michiru's destination.

"Nani? What is this?"

"I do believe this is an art gallery Minako-chan. Michiru-san must be displaying some of her artwork tonight." Ami replied.

"Do you think we can get in?" Usagi asked.

"Probably not. Do you see how everyone is dressed up? And we're still in our school uniforms!" Makoto replied.

"We could try…" Rei said, almost hesitantly.

"I'll do it!" This came from Minako, confidence back in her voice and pose as she gave the Sailor V sign. And before anybody could stop her, she was off. The others watched her from across the street, as she walked up and cut right in between an elderly couple and two official looking men. For a second they thought she had made it inside.

Then all four of them heard a loud voice. "Black tie attire only! I don't care if you say your friends with Kaioh-san! Go home little girl!"

They could easily see the standoff between the apparent security guard and the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love. The guard wasn't all that tall, but he was board and heavily muscled, and he loomed over Minako.

"Oh this is trouble…" Makoto said. And the four friends sprung into action.

"L-Little girl?" Minako sputtered angrily. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and all could see that she was not going to budge. Luckily, they got their before their friend could say anything else.

"Ah Mina-chan! There you are!" Rei said brightly as Makoto grabbed Minako's upper arms.

"We've been looking for you everywhere Mina-chan!" Usagi also said, with a brilliant smile.

Both Minako and the guard raised their eyebrows at this development.

"I'm very sorry sir!" Ami began, confronting the guard. "Our friend here…she got hit a little too hard in the head today at school, and she's just been acting rather strange the whole day. I can't believe she thought she was friends with Kaioh-san. We're really very sorry about this."

Usagi, Rei, and Makoto all kept nodding their heads and maintained bright smiles, even as Rei started to help Makoto drag a still sputtering Minako away.

"Well…" The guard began, looking upwards briefly, as he debated his next course of action. "Just make sure…Hey!" And when he looked back down, all five girls were gone, leaving only a few staring citizens in their wake.

After this incident, and calming Minako down, they decided that they would all go home and change into dark "stealthy" clothes as Usagi put it to better follow their query without being seen in the dark.

So this is where it leaves are unwitting spies…rather disappointed with their findings of the day. Haruka and Michiru had done nothing like they had this morning. The only inclination of any sexual activity was the brief kiss before getting into the car.

Now they were watching their companions do homework with Setsuna reading on the couch. They all became acutely aware at this point of the fact that they still needed to do homework themselves…except for Ami, who said she'd been doing hers this whole time on the computer. It was weird to them though, to actually see Haruka and Michiru do homework…kind of unnatural after the kind of day they had witnessed. But both Haruka and Michiru were rather uncommon people.

"This is rather anticlimactic." Ami put in, surprising her friends with her statement.

"You would have thought this morning that they do stuff all the time." Makoto added.

"Should we go on home?" Usagi asked.

"Usagi-chan! You're not abandoning me in the ever noble pursuit of finding out about true love are you!" Minako cried out loudly standing up. Her friends reacted violently, pulling her down and Rei placing a hand over her mouth.

There was a brief bit of squabbling between the two until Ami's voice cut through it. "Setsuna-san is going to bed, I do believe."

Just like that, everyone's attention was back onto Haruka and Michiru in the living room…

…

Haruka turned the page of her mechanical physics book. Setsuna had gone to bed approximately two minutes ago. She couldn't focus anymore on any of the words in her textbook. Michiru was humming along with the current song playing from the CD, tapping her pencil against her cheek in thought. Her aqua locks were falling perfectly around her face and shoulders. Intelligence gleamed in her sea-blue eyes and her lips were drawn up into a rather unknowingly sexy and contented smile. The fact that she was wearing a little less than normal combined with the vision of her in that little black dress (with the oh so generous split) was all about to drive Haruka crazy.

Now they were alone…everyone else was in bed…Michiru was smart enough to know what she was doing without reading those last few pages…

Michiru knew Haruka was getting anxious. She emanated impatience and longing. 'Just a few minutes more, my love...I just want to finish these last couple of notes for my paper.' Michiru thought, refusing to look at the handsome face of her partner. Of course an image of Haruka danced across her mind, distracting her from studying. Windswept blonde hair falling across her green eyes, a strong yet still feminine profile, and that damn attractive smirk that often pulled at her lips; all beckoned Michiru. Lost in her thoughts about Haruka, she was quite surprised when an arm snaked around her waste and pulled her close.

"Haruka…"

Haruka pulled her between her legs, Michiru's back pressing closely against Haruka's front. Haruka buried her face in her Michiru's hair, smelling the clean ocean scent that she associated with her and the salt beneath. She wrapped her arms tighter around Michiru, one possessively across the flat stomach, the other hand on a breast.

"Haruka…I have work to do…"

Haruka kissed her earlobe; she let the hand on Michiru's breast slide down, searching for the hem of her shirt. She moved from her partner's earlobe, to her neck, kissing, biting, and sucking on the skin, eliciting a slight moan in response. Michiru placed her hands over the arm holding her across her stomach, even as Haruka's other hand traveled its way up underneath Michiru's shirt, across tantalizing skin to her breast.

"Haruka…oh screw it…"

Michiru then rather aggressively turned around, using her momentum to pin her partner down and straddle her. Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Lips connected, then tongues. Michiru used her position to work her way down Haruka's neck, kissing the collarbone where Haruka had unbuttoned her shirt earlier.

"Michiru…bedroom." Haruka managed to get out.

Michiru paused, and Haruka took that moment to sit up, taking Michiru with her. She brushed her partner's aqua locks out of her face, before resting a hand against her cheek. Haruka leaned in and gave Michiru a gentler, promising kiss before standing. She pulled Michiru up against her for another brief embrace. Then she intertwined their right hands, and pulled her toward the bedroom, leaving the violin music playing and books spread out on the table.

Once inside the confines of their bedroom, the door closed behind them, they immediately met again in a passionate embrace; Michiru's arms thrown around Haruka's neck and Haruka's about Michiru's waist and hips. The blonde felt Michiru press herself even closer against her and in an immediate reaction she had lover pinned against the closed door. Michiru's hands were working on the rest of the buttons of her white shirt, as Haruka kissed her way down her partner's neck, her own hands unconsciously pushing Michiru's shirt up and out of the way.

Michiru had her eyes closed, but they fluttered open as Haruka bit rather hard on her skin. Her feelings focused on her partner, but her eyes briefly looked over Haruka's shoulder to the window that was letting in the combination of their elements. Nothing but a dark sky, a pleasant breeze, the smell of the ocean, and five pairs of eyes staring back at her.

Michiru actually screamed, extremely startled at their sudden realized lack of privacy.

"Shimatta!" Was the response from the window, followed by a shout and what sounded like numerous bodies hitting the ground.

Haruka reacted quickly at that. That damned boy from next door. She was going to rip his face off. Quick as the wind, before anybody could move, open shirt fluttering to reveal a modest white bra, she was at the window with a fierce scowl on her face.

"Oh! Well…this is a surprise! Michi-chan, come see our visitors." Haruka replied, turning to grin at her lover, who had by this time, had already composed her self.

"Haruka-san, Michiru-san…eh…hello…?" Usagi replied, a blush upon her face, from atop of a pile of human bodies.

Michiru appeared at the window, leaning gracefully and propping her head on one hand with one thin eyebrow arched.

"Hello Usagi-chan. Ara, and everyone else too." She said calmly.

"Minako-chan, Rei-chan, Makoto-chan, even Ami-chan. Wow, looks like we're popular tonight Michiru." Haruka teased, a smirk gracing her lips, not bothering to button her shirt up.

"Michiru-san, Haruka-san..." Rei tried to begin, but trailed off.

"Oh, I think you can drop the san at this point Rei-chan." Michiru still looking coolly composed, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.

"It's amazing how we didn't sense them Michiru. Look at this," Haruka gestured to their black outfits. "they planned this."

"Probably because they didn't have any malevolent intentions, Ruka-chan" Michiru replied thoughtfully.

"I feel so embarrassed." Ami's voice was distinctly heard despite being shamefully mumbled under her breath.

"It was Minako-chan's idea!" Usagi put in, hoping to redeem herself, missing the mood and tone of her two older friends completely.

"Hey!" Came Minako's indigent reply.

"Odango-atama, you supported it!"

"And just what are you doing here then Rei-chan?"

Usagi and Rei stared each other down and there was brief moment of silence.

"Hey, 'cause you all are here and all…do you want to join in?" Haruka asked with her most charming grin on her face.

This was followed by five collective face faults and a sigh from Michiru.

**Fin**

A/N: And there you have it, the first one-shot. Granted, having Usagi and the others follow Haruka and Michiru around all afternoon and not being caught is probably highly improbable. But this is fiction. And we'll just say they're lucky.


	2. Mirror rorriM

**Edited 1/31/07**

A/N: Anyway, this one I cooked up is terribly clichéd. But…I couldn't help writing it because it's been stuck in my head for awhile now. And besides, I enjoy a clichéd love story. I hope it's at least mildly enjoyable to you. And I hope that nobody is too OOC.

**Mirror rorriM**

By Yavapai

"I'm not sure. I just know that when I looked into the fire, it was almost as if I was being physically pushed back out."

It was actually a bit more than being "pushed" back out. Rei had the bruises to prove it, but she did not want to worry her friends anymore than necessary. She was getting enough concerned looks as was. Fire was her element, and she had been working with it for a significant period of her life now. For something like this to occur…it was troublesome.

"It would only be logical that something is blocking you from reading the fire." Ami said, computer out and being put to use. "I hate to say it, but there is a strong possibility of a new threat; one that has the ability to stop us from gathering any valuable information with extrasensory or psychic ability. That is assuming, and I'm not doubting you Rei-chan, that you didn't accidentally do something wrong with your fire reading." The last bit was more of a question than a statement.

"Positive. I wouldn't mess up. Not like this." Rei shifted slightly in her seat, feeling her bruises from being mentally and physically forced out of her fire-reading.

They were gathered at the so dubbed "Outer Senshi Home", all of them except for Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis. Mamoru had made last minute plans to see an old friend and had pleaded off for this one week unless the situation was extremely dire. The two cats had both decided to stay home as they both thought the meeting would turn into yet another Senshi party. This had tended to be the trend in the weeks following the Galaxia battle. For the most part, the weekly Senshi meeting had been a time of rest, relaxation, catching up on each other's weeks, and eating Makoto's wonderful cooking.

Usually if someone would look into the window and watch these particular young women, they would be hard to turn away. Not only were all of them exceedingly beautiful in some way or another, but there was something about each one that stood out, caught people's attention, and held it. This group of girls, some already women and one still very much a girl, possessed something remarkable. Usually they could be seen having a bit of a good time, each vastly comfortable in each other's presence.

However, this bit of troublesome information had set them on edge. Usagi bit her lower lip, a fierce, worried frown on her lovely face directed at all of them from her position in Haruka's favorite recliner. Ami, sitting on the floor, computer on the coffee table, was very determinedly typing away, face set in concentration. Minako, sitting on the couch with Setsuna, Rei, and Hotaru nestled on her Setsuna-mama's lap, had mellowed and was closely watching Rei seated next to her, pretty eyes focusing on the problem. Setsuna herself had tightened her arms around Hotaru, showing nothing, but feeling decidedly uncomfortable that she did not have any foresight of what was going on. Hotaru glanced back at her Setsuna-mama, little girl eyes not so little girl, feeling her concern in the embrace. Makoto had been leaning against the wall, but now she was standing stiffly behind Usagi, looking ready to protect her from anything. And finally Haruka and Michiru were sitting in the love seat, Haruka's arm protectively around Michiru's shoulders and Michiru's manicured hand resting on her partner's thigh. Both of their faces were stony, revealing nothing, unless if they noticed Haruka tightening her embrace or Michiru's hand increase pressure on Haruka's thigh.

Rei continued, eyes cast downward and aside, "Basically, I can't do a fire-reading, and I have sensed nothing else at all."

"I have sensed nothing from the oceans or in any dreams either." Michiru spoke, neither doubt nor belief evident in her voice.

"Nor has the wind told me anything, but I've never been perceptive as either of you. Setsuna-san?" Haruka added.

Setsuna sighed. "I know nothing of this. And I say that honestly, it isn't that I can't reveal anything, but I really know nothing of this."

"Is there an enemy out there who can block us from sensing anything? Something that can stop the ocean from reaching me? It has felt…oh…diluted this past week. Nothing obvious or I would have said something, but different nonetheless. Now…I am unsure. However, the ocean's moods change everyday…" Michiru said, a thoughtful frown on her face.

Haruka shrugged, "The wind doesn't feel any different."

"You said it yourself, love. You aren't very perceptive."

"I'm perceptive enough to know what you want." Haruka's reply was accompanied by a flirtatious grin.

"Oh stop you two. This is no time and place to be getting into that kind of mood." Setsuna said, her normal mysterious ambiance ruined by the rolling of her eyes. Hotaru giggled in her lap. The Inner Senshi's reactions were varied once they realized what Setsuna was talking about. Ami flushed and buried herself back into her work, but at the other end of the spectrum, Minako grinned looking from Haruka and Michiru to Setsuna.

"Ami-chan, have you found anything yet?" Makoto said, as she noticed Minako opening her mouth to say something.

"Nothing that could explain what Rei-chan has said or even any sort of being that has been catalogued in my database that has such abilities." The blue-haired genius replied. "I could keep working, but I'm not sure if I could find anything."

They sat silent for a moment, at loss at what to do. Rei was growing frustrated, she knew something was wrong, and she could almost feel the doubt growing back into her friends as they sat there without a solution. But she had nothing else to offer up as relevant information. She sighed, fingering a dark strand of hair.

"I could look into the Deep Aqua Mirror, it has been a bit more than a week since I last looked into it. It's about time for a checkup anyway." Michiru said suddenly.

Rei looked up at this, eyes wide at the sudden possibility.

"Good thinking koi." Haruka said, kissing Michiru on the cheek briefly.

"It's definitely worth a try." Ami added, looking serious.

The Senshi of the Seas concentrated for a brief moment as the others picked up in conversation again, debating the issue of a new threat.. She summoned the Deep Aqua Mirror easily, but before she could look into it, a guarded voice spoke up.

"Michiru-san, please be careful. The way it pushed me out of my fire-reading wasn't exactly pleasant." Rei said, she shifted uncomfortably as sea-blue eyes looked piercingly into her own dark ones, and then observed her as a whole. She did not see Michiru press her lips into a thin line, but Haruka did, and she felt her partner tense.

"Thank you Rei-chan. And I will be." Michiru's voice was as melodious as ever, though there was a note to it that told Rei that the other Senshi would have questions for her later.

Michiru broke out of Haruka's one-armed embrace to stand a distance away to be unbothered and uninterrupted for the scanning. Haruka responded with a frown, sitting up. "Michiru…"

"Haruka, darling, I need to concentrate and sitting next to you won't help matters." Michiru responded playfully.

Haruka ignored the bait and playfulness set by her partner. "Michiru…"

They looked at each other then, unnoticed by all except Rei who had yet to turn her attention away from Michiru. In that look, a silent communication passed between the two that told all sorts of things, and to Rei, it seemed as if time stopped briefly as their eyes connected. Rei resisted the urge to sudden urge to look to see if Setsuna had anything to do with it knowing the thought was absurd. It brought to light to the priestess again just how much they loved each other. The look broke away a few seconds later, and Haruka relaxed back into her seat as Usagi asked her a question. Rei could tell though, that part of her attention was on Michiru as she closed her eyes briefly before looking into the mirror.

"…nobody wants to fight again, but we should ready ourselves for anything." Makoto responded to whatever Haruka had answered to.

"I wish Mamo-chan was here, or Luna."

"Artemis too. But even if it's a new enemy, a little Venus Love Chain and maybe a little Sailor V action should stop it."

Haruka snickered. "Well you know…if it's that easy to beat…"

"Haruka-san!" Minako whined back, drawing Rei's attention.

"That sounded more like odango-atama than you, Minako-chan."

"Rei-chan!" Two angry blondes exclaimed.

"Mako-chan, why don't you sit down?" Ami said, looking up from her computer at her friend who was still standing stiffly by Usagi, effectively interrupting yet another potential yelling match.

"I'm fine Ami-chan." said the tall brunette.

"Hai, Mako-chan." Haruka said huskily, patting the now empty seat beside her. "The loveseat is always nice and cozy."

Makoto blushed a fierce color of red, as Haruka swept some of her blonde bangs out of her eyes with one hand.

"Haruka-papa! If Michiru-mama heard you…" Hotaru said, before climbing off of Setsuna's lap and moving to the vacant spot on the loveseat. "…that's why I'll take the loveseat."

"What she doesn't hear, hime-chan, won't hurt her." Haruka said, wrapping an arm around Hotaru. "Besides, she might just approve." The last was said with an appraising glance at Makoto, whose face reddened even more as she sat down next to Ami.

The Inners were used to the flirtations of Haruka, but it still brought a bright flush to their faces when it did happen, well, some more so than others. What was even worse was when Michiru started in on it too. She had only been doing it in the past few weeks and not nearly as much as Haruka, but her flirting skills could be even more adept than her partner's. The Inner Senshi really did not mind it, and it was kind of flattering coming from their two elder, famous, and rather beautiful friends, but it still caused them to blush deeply…again, some more so than others.

"Michiru!"

Haruka's head snapped over to Setsuna who had let out the cry. The woman had sprung up and was already making her way over to the Senshi of the Seas. Haruka's attention just as quickly, if not more so, had already turned to her elegant partner.

A line of blood had appeared on Michiru's perfect features, a cut that ran down her temple to her ear. The rest of her features showed no reaction. Eyes half-lidded as they stared into the Mirror, lips parted slightly in the deep concentration. The pale, porcelain face marred by one angry red line of blood.

Haruka was at her partner's side before she realized it.

"Michiru-san!"

"Michiru-mama?"

"Michi-chan…" Haruka placed on hand on Michiru's back, feeling the warmth…and blood. She pulled her hand away, looking at it in surprise, before noticing the rest of Michiru's back. Michiru's shirt had torn, and even as Haruka was watching, she saw another cut form; first, her white shirt, then the skin.

"Oh my…Kami-sama…" This followed by gasps, caused Haruka to turn and look at the front of Michiru again. A rather large bruise had blossomed onto her face. And suddenly blood was pouring down one arm, and a section of her shirt suddenly appeared charred, the fabric crumbing away, replaced with angry red marks on her side.

"Ami-chan! Do something!" Haruka all but growled out, a hint of desperation in her voice. Setsuna shook Michiru, trying to break her connection to the Mirror. When Michiru did not respond, Makoto physically tried to yank the Mirror from the violinist's grasp. When she could not break it away, Haruka roughly pushed her aside. Makoto stumbled aside, but did not hold it against the older girl due to the situation. She stood at the ready though, just in case she was needed.

"Michiru, let it go! I don't know what you see, koi, or what's going on, but let it go!" Haruka said as she tried to take the Mirror from her partner's hand.

"Michiru-san! Please!" Usagi's desperate voice reached Haruka's ears, a twinge of Serenity in it, but the Senshi of the Heavens barely noticed.

"Ami-chan! Hurry!" Minako said, hovering around Ami, wanting to help, but not knowing what to do. Setsuna had stepped away, gathering Hotaru close to her.

"Hotaru-chan, be ready. Michiru-chan will need healing when she gets out of this." Setsuna said, refusing to voice the word "if" instead of "when." Surely…surely she would have known something as momentous as the Senshi of Neptune dying…the Time Stream…

Hotaru nodded in response, taking on a slightly determined stance, even as wide eyes watched her Michiru-mama.

Rei suddenly appeared in front of Michiru, holding a thick blanket in hand. Haruka understood immediately, snatching the blanket and draping it over the mirror. For a second everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Disaster had been averted, yet again. But then a surge of darkness and the blanket had literally disappeared.

Haruka let out a growl of frustration. The mirror had literally sucked in the blanket. Was that even possible?

"I…there's nothing! Nothing about the Deep Aqua Mirror reacting like this or about any sort of outside power able to do something like this!" Ami exclaimed both alarmed and frustrated. "I don't even know how the Mirror was able to suck in the blanket. Just don't put anything else in between the Mirror and Michiru-san…I'm getting bad readings just from the blanket."

Haruka gritted her teeth, and drew Michiru close against her.

"Haruka-san…let me help. As Sailor Moon, as Serenity!" Usagi exclaimed, more Serenity evident in her voice.

"Usagi-chan!"

"No! You can't"

Various negative exclamations met the unsaid suggestion. Usagi only grew more determined. "But Michiru-san is only getting worse. Please…let me help!"

"No Odango. You know that already. Besides…Michiru would kill me if I let you." Haruka said softly, hands cupped around Michiru's own.

It was killing her inside. Her love…her beautiful water goddess…her sea nymph…the person that brought true happiness to her was being hurt before her eyes. There was nothing she could do. No enemy she could pound into the ground. Her immediate reaction to use force would get nowhere. And for the life of her…and it was for the life of her…she could not think of anything. Only that damned Mirror…

Haruka peered into her love's eyes, even as they in turn refused to break away from Mirror. "Michiru…Michi-chan…listen to me. Hold on. We'll…I'll come up with something." She whispered.

And there was something. As Haruka whispered, a flash of life appeared behind the sea-blue eyes. Brief, but Haruka knew what she saw.

"Michiru?" Haruka breathed.

This exchanged did not go unnoticed by Minako. Her eyes lit up dangerously with the idea.

"Haruka-san! Keep talking to her!"

Haruka had already caught onto this, but Minako's command had gotten the attention of the rest of the Senshi, who watched the next few moments rather desperately and breathlessly.

"Michiru…after all we've been through, I still need you here. I'll always need you here. You can't leave me! Fight this…for our princess, for our sister Senshi, for me. We need you. The princess needs you. I need you. Don't go into your own world. You've done that to me too many times already. Fight it, Michiru...for me." Haruka's fervent whispers tried to carry all the love she held for her partner. She was never good at expressing her feelings as much as showing them. But Michiru was her love in life, years and years ago, and years and years to come. And Haruka put all her soul and feeling into her words.

The others watched Michiru's eyes flash, her stony facial expression soften slightly before reverting back, and her lips move ever so slightly.

"Come back to us. Come back to me. Michiru…Kami-sama…love you." And Haruka kissed her, angling past the Mirror. At first it was like kissing stone, there was no reaction from her aqua-haired partner. But with a sudden gasping intake of breath, Haruka knew her Michiru had broken free. Haruka heard the slight thud of the Mirror as it hit the floor as she felt the pressure of Michiru's slender arms on the back of her neck. Haruka took her partner's weight, hands placed, mindful of injuries. Their lips met in a blistering kiss, before Michiru gave way, collapsing against Haruka's chest.

The Inner Senshi watched this in something akin to relief, amazement, and slight curiosity. As much flirting as the two had done, they had limited their affection for each other in the presence of others. The most they had seen was Michiru kiss Haruka on the cheek and Haruka's hand placed rather dangerously far up on Michiru's thigh. To see the two finally kiss in front of them was rather…well…almost stimulating. Despite the circumstances of course. Even Ami was watching with a blush upon her cheeks. Worry was still evident on all their faces of course.

Setsuna and Hotaru, having seen and walked into even more risqué positions between their two housemates (much to both party's chagrin and rather awkward moments and Setsuna yelling about carelessness in front of their adoptive daughter) just exchanged relieved smiles. It was Setsuna's crimson eyes who noticed the spirit (and the blanket) coming out of the Deep Aqua Mirror as Hotaru readied herself to perform some Saturn healing magic.

"Rei-chan. Can you take care of that?" Setsuna said, drawing Rei's attention away from Haruka and Michiru.

Rei grimaced, noticing the spirit. "On it."

"Haruka. It hurts…" Michiru whispered hoarsely against Haruka's chest. Haruka responded by picking up Michiru, cradling her in her arms, mindful of the injuries, and noticing the two trails of tears on her face.

Distantly they could hear Rei's chanting, and a howling noise from the spirit.

"Shhhh…I know, hang on, Hotaru will help some. But you'll have to rest for awhile." Haruka responded; all tenderness as she laid Michiru on the couch and brushing aqua hair out of her face. Haruka knelt beside her, beckoning to Hotaru and holding her partner's hand as Michiru responded in kind with a slight smile that turned back into a grimace of pain, the two tear streaks drying on her cheeks.

With Haruka hovering over Michiru at the couch as Hotaru did what she could, and Rei, Setsuna, and now also Ami (at her computer now) preoccupied with the spirit; it left Usagi, Minako, and Makoto together off to the side.

"It looks like Michiru-san will be okay." Usagi said relief in her voice.

"She'll probably need a lot of rest for a few days…I'll have to make sure to bring the Outers a lot of food to help out." Makoto added.

"Yes, we all can help. We're a team. Michiru-san, Haruka-san, Setsuna-san, and Hotaru-chan would all do the same for us." Usagi replied

"That was really scary though. If it hadn't been for Haruka-san…if it hadn't been for love...it's amazing what it can do." Minako said, reflecting on all that love had done for them in the past. From complete revivals to small gifts, it was a central part of their team. After a moment of sincere reflection, Minako spoke again. "If Haruka-san hadn't broken her contact with the Mirror…" She trailed off.

The three stood for a moment in a contemplative silence.

"I wonder if Mamo-chan and I look something like that when we kiss…?" Usagi wondered aloud.

"I wonder if I will ever look as 'right' with someone as Haruka-san and Michiru-san do…?" Makoto said contemplatively.

"I wonder if Haruka-san will give me some kissing tips…?" The last was said of course by Minako.

"Minako-chan!" Makoto groaned.

"What? Come on Mako-chan. That kiss was pretty hot!"

Usagi found herself giggling. "It was, wasn't it?"

Makoto took this moment to reflect on the kiss. "Despite Michiru-san being torn up…or maybe in spite of it…yes, it was."

"Hey! What are you three talking about?" Rei interrupted, coming over together with Ami. Setsuna, they noticed, had disappeared, probably to get out the endless amount of first aid they kept in the house.

"Um, nothing Rei-chan!" Usagi said, smiling rather goofily.

Rei looked at her piercingly for a moment before sighing and relaxing her stance. Ami took this moment to step in.

"The spirit haunting Michiru-san's Deep Aqua Mirror had a very weak physical form. But it's mental and physic abilities were extraordinary. This of course, explains how it was able to block and cover any of our extrasensory or psychic perceptions, from Rei-chan's fire-reading to Setsuna-san's natural connection with time. The spirit wasn't actually haunting Michiru-san's Mirror per say, but it had left a bit of itself in there to be alerted when she activated it, so it could tend to other things, such as your fire-reading Rei-chan. As far as we can tell, the spirit and Michiru-san engaged each other in battle in a mental landscape, using the Mirror as psychic basis. The spirit gave off heavy readings of strain and stress and Michiru-san's physical injuries resulted from what she obtained mentally. She did well to keep her life against such a psychically enabled foe. I'm not sure exactly how everything ended in the Mirror, but Rei-chan got rid of it easily with her miko powers in physical form."

"Could there be more of them? Did it have a purpose?" Makoto asked directly. "It has to be strong, especially to get into a Talisman."

"No. Setsuna-san even briefly consulted the Time Gate. That was just a rogue spirit." Ami answered. "Something left over from the Negaverse that has been floating around for a while. It was most likely attracted to our general aura as Senshi and decided to torment us a bit."

"Of course…it got here to annoy us." Minako replied.

"That was a bit more than annoy, Minako-chan. Michiru-san could have died." Rei said, her own bruises still apparent, were nothing compared to Michiru. And part of her felt guilty…she should have done more to warn Michiru.

"No Rei-chan. I know that look. You feel like you should have been able to warn Michiru-san more, right? Rei-chan, don't think that way. Besides, you could have gotten really hurt yourself if the spirit decided to do more than just push you around in your fire-reading." Usagi said, very perceptive to her friend.

Rei gave Usagi a smile. "Arigato…I worry sometimes though, are we always going to get happy endings? Luck and skill can only get us so far."

"I know we'll get to Crystal Tokyo, everyone. We will all have a happy ending." Usagi said with a winning smile, before bouncing over to the couch to see Michiru.

Minako watched as Haruka lightly kissed Michiru on the forehead before getting up to head to the kitchen, probably to get Michiru some water, Minako speculated. Setsuna had returned earlier and between her and Haruka with Hotaru's minor healing, they had cleaned and bandaged Michiru's injuries. It would probably take her only a day or two to heal with her Senshi abilities, but it would be best if she rested for a few days at least. Setsuna was settling Hotaru down for a nap on the loveseat to recover the lost energy the healing took out of her. Usagi was now talking to Michiru very seriously, holding one hand, and her other teammates had joined them.

"Perfect." Minako thought. "Now I can go question Haruka-san about kissing and maybe…just maybe what goes on in the bedroom! I am the Goddess of Love after all. It's my duty to discover and unearth anything about love…and use it to my advantage." She flounced on into the kitchen.

**-Fin-**

A/N: Ah, the wonders of having Ami there to fill in plot holes. Anyway, I hope this was at least decent. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	3. Turning Heads

**Edited 1/31/07**

A/N: This one is inspired by the opening of the S movie. During the last part of the opening, we see Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka walking down the middle of the street, and everybody in their vicinity stops and looks at them. The three of them literally cause people to stop whatever they're doing and turn heads. I think this scene more than anything shows what an impression the three of them make on people.

This one takes place mid S season, after Setsuna has appeared, but before the culmination of the season. So no Hotaru, but Setsuna is working closely and renewing her friendship with Haruka and Michiru.

Most importantly: I know Motoki has seen Haruka and Michiru before, he even remarks on them. But for the purposes of this oneshot…he has not ever seen them before. Pretend he was too busy working when they've been in the Crown before.

**Turning Heads**

By Yavapai

For all intents and purposes, Furuhata Motoki was having a great day. It was Friday, the sun was shining, the weather was warm, and only a few clouds were dotting the sky. He had met with Mamoru for a late lunch after their morning classes, which had also gone well. And now he was on his way to the Crown to work the busy after school hours. Mamoru was accompanying him; he had said that he wanted to surprise Usagi at the Crown. They both knew she would be there, especially on a Friday, and by default, her others friends as well.

They were making their way down the streets of Tokyo at leisurely pace, enjoying the weather, and dodging the numerous people and cars. Motoki pointed down a pedestrian-only street, filled with restaurants and shops for them to cut through; Mamoru nodded in response. This street was very crowded with shoppers of all types adding to the festive atmosphere and matching Motoki's mood.

"Hey, Motoki-kun, do you mind if we stop by here?" Mamoru said suddenly, stopping by the flower shop. "I want to get flowers for Usako."

"Relationship problems Mamoru-kun?"

Mamoru sighed. "Kind of. Usako and the rest have made some new friends recently. Two rather famous, beautiful people and I…talked a bit…with one of them. And she's kind done the same with the other. She got kinda jealous…and I admit…I was a little jealous too. So I figure I'll just get some flowers to apologize and reaffirm our relationship."

Motoki grinned. "You treat Usagi-chang like royalty my friend."

Mamoru responded with his own, rather enigmatic smile. "Oh, she is."

"Well, she is your girlfriend. Go on then. I'll wait out here." Motoki replied leaning against the shop window to wait. He was content to people watch for a few minutes, enjoying the sights and sounds of everyday Tokyo life.

He was just beginning to wonder why Mamoru was taking so long, when he noticed a disturbance in the crowd. People were stopping in their tracks, heads literally turning to watch something moving through the crowd of people. Curiosity perked, Motoki found himself wondering what was going on and moved to where he could see. A gap appeared in the crowd, and he saw what made the throngs of people to stop and stare.

His breath caught in his throat at the vision before him and his eyes widened.

Three figures were all it took to stop him and all the others, male and female alike, in their tracks.

Two, he recognized, but the photos did not do them justice. Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru. The other woman with them was unknown to him, but he felt as if he should know her; she was just as impressive as the other two. She had long, dark green hair, crimson eyes, and mocha skin. Exotic would be the perfect word to describe her, sensual and breath-taking. She walked with a quiet confidence and there was certain thing about her that just felt mysterious. It spoke of things kept hidden, yet as if there was a certain rightness in doing so. Her skin was flawless and something in the glimpse Motoki caught in her eyes spoke of untold wisdom. She smiled slightly at something one of the other two said, drawing more attention to her. He felt himself wishing that smile was directed at him. Her dress was simple, a light linen skirt for the spring day matched with a sleeveless purple top, yet it accented her curves and height. Her feet were donned in heels that only added to her long legs.

The other two, stood closer to each other, and something about them just screamed togetherness, especially as Kaioh Michiru reached out to touch Tenoh Haruka's hand and the look that was returned her way. And not to mention that there was something about both of them that was just full of sexual energy and made Motoki swallow hard.

Tenoh Haruka, the F-1 prodigy, androgynous and just as beautiful. It was easy to see how she could be mistaken for a guy in a picture and in a general glance. But there was still something undoubtedly feminine in her bearing and face. While the other woman had a quiet confidence and Haruka didn't quite strut, it was not hard to imagine girls falling in love with just that walk despite orientation. Motoki found himself envying it, and at the same time, found it just as hard to ignore the beauty that was made known on her face and features; golden hair that swept in the wind and into her eyes, brushed back by a strong, long-fingered hand; soul-piercing green eyes that challenged; high-cheek bones and tanned skin. Her figure was hidden behind her clothes, but it was not hard to imagine the long, supple frame. She was dressed in khaki slacks, a blue polo, and a sports jacket that made Motoki dismay at his own T-shirt and blue jeans.

And finally, Kaioh Michiru. She was more beautiful and elegant than Motoki had ever imagined; impossibly gorgeous would be the words to use. Wavy aqua hair that invited fingers to be run through it, sea-blue eyes that looked like they danced with the ocean and its waves, pale and creamy smooth skin, perfect lips, and delicate features. Her whole bearing spoke of poise, elegance, and a cultured background. He briefly fantasized if she was from the seas, like a sister to Aphrodite for her beauty seemed almost otherworldly. While not as tall as the other two, she still was taller than the average Japanese woman. He noticed her hands as she touched Haruka, long elegant fingers made for the violin and a paintbrush. As far as he has heard, from interviews and the like there was not much that Kaioh Michiru could not do, and do exceptionally well. The clothes she wore suited her status; a tailored flowing skirt to her knees, a light cashmere quarter-length sleeved sweater, and heels. If he envied Haruka just a moment ago, it was nothing compared to what it was now as he observed the racer stand so close to the gorgeous artist.

Altogether though, the two minor celebrities and their companion, made a vision. There was something supernatural about them, like they were more than what they appeared. It was the same feeling Motoki got around Usagi and her friends. But this, for whatever reason, felt more extreme. It was like there was a power hidden inside them that reached out. He thought if he closed his eyes he could still pinpoint the three's exact location. It was no wonder people were stopping in their tracks to watch them. He sighed, and could sense the others around him do the same, as Michiru laced her fingers with Haruka.

"Motoki-kun, what are you looking at?" Mamoru's voice pierced his thoughts.

Motoki gestured vaguely to the three and wondered how Mamoru had not yet noticed them.

"Ah yes." Mamoru responded, closing his eyes and a ghost of a smile appearing on his face…not that Motoki noticed. He was still watching the three (seemingly) young women. Mamoru patted his friend on the back with his free hand; the other hand clutching a bouquet, surprisingly not of roses, but of irises and morning glories. "Rather stunning aren't they? Come on now, follow me."

Motoki blindly followed Mamoru as his friend took him closer and closer to the three drawing so much attention.

"Michiru-san! Haruka-san, Setsuna-san!" Mamoru called. Motoki rapidly composed himself as he realized who his friend was calling out too.

"They're doing it again." Haruka hissed under her breath.

"Haruka, love, it's alright. I thought you liked the attention." Michiru replied, as cool and composed as ever.

"It's just that they're all ogling at us. Especially you."

"What? Do you what me to stop looking good." Michiru teased lightly. "I can be hideous you know. Would you like your girlfriend to be ugly? You would lose a lot of street cred."

Haruka smirked, "You couldn't look bad even if you tried, Michi-chan."

"Ara?"

"Hai." Haruka responded with a genuine smile. "But really, do they have to watch us so? Look at all the stares we're getting."

"Well, Haruka-chan, discounting the fame that both you have achieved respectively, our unusual degree of natural beauty…" Setsuna began.

"Michi-chan, I do believe our dear friend Setsuna-san just called us beautiful." Haruka interrupted. Michiru giggled politely and Setsuna even cracked a smile. "Though, I personally prefer the term sexy myself."

"…as I was saying." Setsuna responded dryly. "discounting fame, your 'sexiness' Haruka, Michiru's rather heightened natural beauty, and..."

"Oh, go on and say it, Setsuna-san." Haruka interrupted again. "Your 'exotic' self."

"Setsuna-san, you're so exotically sexily beautiful." Michiru teased, purposely drawing out the last three words and batting her eyes at Setsuna.

"Michiru! Thou hast forsaken me for the old woman!" Haruka responded dramatically, a hand going to her forehead to mimic distress.

"Never, Ruka-chan, no offense Setsuna-san." Michiru said with amusement. Her voice grew hushed at her next words, meant only for Haruka, though Setsuna heard anyway. "I'll never leave you Haruka." Michiru's hand reached out to touch Haruka's, before intertwining their fingers.

There was a moment of silence as the two looked at each other, green eyes meeting blue in an intense silent conversation, before Setsuna interrupted with a slight cough. "As I was saying…discounting the…other things…our innate power as Sailor Senshi, and doubly so as Talisman-holders, draws attention as well. Add everything up, and it's unsurprising that we are noticed like we are, especially when we three are together."

Haruka nodded her head and Michiru placed her fist under her chin, in a Neptune-like pose, absorbing the information.

"Michiru-san! Haruka-san, Setsuna-san!"

Michiru turned gracefully as her name was called; Haruka with her, moving slightly in front of the smaller woman in a protective gesture. Setsuna stopped, smiled mysteriously for a moment before turning to face the caller. "And it's unsurprising that we are all drawn to each other as Sailor Senshi as well." Setsuna said softly and unheard.

"Ara, Mamoru-san." Michiru spoke up first, bowing her head slightly. "How are you today? What lovely flowers! And please, introduce us to your friend. He looks familiar."

There was a brief moment of silent challenge between Haruka and Mamoru, each assessing the other before Mamoru responded to Michiru, a charismatic smile on his face.

"Michiru-san. It is a pleasure to see you again." Here he paused, extracting a single morning glory from the bouquet, glancing briefly at Haruka, before presenting it to Michiru. She closed her eyes for a moment and Setsuna could just tell she was resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the antics of her possessive girlfriend and the man also known as Tuxedo Kamen and Endymion. Michiru smiled though, ever-so-slightly, one that would have caused a normal man to be at her beck and call, and accepted the flower. Setsuna inwardly chuckled at the expression of the young man accompanying Mamoru. "You too, Setsuna-san…and Haruka-san. And I'm doing fine. This is Furuhata Motoki-kun. He's a close friend of mine, and he works at the Crown. You might have seen him when you've been there before. Motoki-kun, this is Meioh Setsuna-san, Tenoh Haruka-san, and Kaioh Michiru-san."

"T-They've been there before?" The fellow said, looking surprised and the unvoiced question of 'and I didn't notice?' was picked up by all.

"Yes Motoki-kun. These are the…friends…I was talking about before." Mamoru said, and he made a vague gesture toward the flowers.

"Ah." Motoki nodded in understanding, as his eyes widen in what Setsuna would have called disbelief. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Mamoru-kun, are you two on your way to the Crown now?" Setsuna asked, cutting through the pleasantries.

"Hai, Motoki-kun has to work this afternoon, and I'm meeting Usako and the others there once they get out of school."

The three women exchanged glances; faces blank, but the connection they had centuries ago held through and they knew exactly what each other thought.

"We'll come along with you." Michiru said pointedly, eyes flashing. "It's about time we talked to Usagi-tachi again."

As they were walking, a now almost over-polite chatter going among them, Motoki was aware of the envious stares he and Mamoru were receiving. He could not help but feel his confidence growing and walked with increased pride. At the same time however, there was this certain energy between Mamoru and the three women. It made him feel distant from his friend and it was as if he was missing out on something

They eventually got to the Crown, and Motoki winced when he saw he was more than a few minutes late. He took heart into the fact that his colleagues should be more than capable of covering for him though. He turned toward the three women as they entered the Crown.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Tenoh-san, I hope to see you race one day. Kaioh-san, maybe next time you could sign one of your CDs for me? And Meioh-san I hope you have a pleasant day." With that Motoki ran off to the back of the already busy store, noticing it was even later than he thought because Usagi and her friends were already there. He was oblivious to the confrontation he left behind.

"Why do you want to talk to Usako and Minako-tachi? I'm pretty sure you three made your position clear to me and to them." Mamoru said; drawing the three away and behind a couple of arcade machines, to a place that Usagi and the others could not see from their position by the racing game. His voice was not hostile, but there was a note of warning and hesitation. The three had made their position clear to them. They were going to destroy the Messiah of Silence no matter what the cost.

"We just want to impart another warning." Michiru said shrugging, making even that action seem graceful. There were times when Mamoru wished Usagi would act a bit more like Michiru, and he knew that Usagi wished the same thing as well, when she admitted to him that she thought Michiru acted more like a princess then she ever could. However, his Usako would not be his Usako without her antics of character and personality.

"Mamoru-kun, we would have run into them at some point anyway, whether in a battle or just out on the streets like we did with you. It's just a way of the Senshi. We encounter each other whether we like to or not. Plus despite obvious differences in our missions…we are the Sailor Team." Setsuna added a distant look in her eyes. Haruka touched Setsuna on the shoulder in a comforting gesture. "There will come a time when we will all work together. And it will happen before Crystal Tokyo…I've said too much already. The point is, Mamoru-kun, that even though we are working for different goals at the moment and, while my own teammates here" she gestured to Haruka and Michiru, who responded with a grin and a raised eyebrow respectively. "may be a little rough around the edges about it as Senshi, we would appreciate it if they let us do what we need to do to stop the Silence without interference." There was a definite emphasis on the word 'appreciate.'

Mamoru took all of this in, his features concentrated and serious. His trained eye picked up Michiru's slight slag during Setsuna's speech as she leaned against Haruka. Haruka in turn, seemed to pull Michiru even closer. It heartened him to hear Setsuna's words, even though there was a definite warning in them, and to see her companions' reactions. They were reaching out to the rest of the Senshi. The part of him that was Endymion recognized how good this was, especially considering their distance and almost hostility in the past.

"I understand. And I understand what you are doing as well. Part of me sees the wisdom in what you are trying to do. But my heart fully follows Usako…Sailor Moon…Serenity, and I believe in her when she says no sacrifices should be made. Nobody should have to die." Mamoru finished his short speech with conviction.

"Keep them away from Tomoe Hotaru, Mamoru-san." Haruka said, eyes flashing. "She's dangerous."

"She's a little girl!" He cried out.

"She's the Messiah of Silence." Michiru responded coolly.

"You don't know for sure."

"We don't have straight evidence to give you. But we are almost positive." Setsuna said.

Mamoru sighed. "I follow Sailor Moon. I follow Serenity. Your advice is appreciated. But I follow her."

"Mamoru-kun, we will warn them anyway. This upcoming confrontation…battle…is not going to be easy. Keep them away. Let us complete our mission without interference. It would be better for everybody in the end.

"I don't control them! They are Sailor Senshi, they're powerful!"

"Not like us." Haruka cut in. "They're children when it comes to this type of battle. Consider what Sailor Moon and the others preach. They don't want us to kill one girl…at the expense of the world."

"We've told you our mission already. We were too late to stop are enemies from infiltrating the Solar System. But we will not let them claim victory. We will kill the Messiah of Silence." Michiru's voice was as cold as the deep ocean. Her voice warmed though with the next sentence, adopting its normal melodious tone, though there was a deep sadness behind it. "Don't think we don't wish there was another way."

"Go Minako-chan! Go!"

The Sailor Senshi cheered on their blonde friend at the racing game. Minako gritted her teeth as she took her virtual car through a sharp curve. Her opponent, a teenaged boy, rather pimply, stood no chance. She floored it perfectly on time and zipped past him, claiming first position.

"Come on…come on." Minako said aloud.

The others behind her watched breathlessly, feeling the climatic victory coming. And there it was; the checkered finish line, straight ahead. A couple seconds later and Minako had claimed victory. The boy moved away quickly after that, to escape both his bruised ego and the loud, cheering girls.

"Yeah, I knew I could do it. No problem." Minako proudly boasted.

Rei sighed. "Minako-chan, pride gets you nowhere."

"Hey everyone!"

"Motoki-san!" Motoki appeared before them, uniform in a bit of disarray, and oddly enough, standing on one foot while trying to put a shoe on the other.

"I was a little late getting here today. Met Mamoru-kun for lunch a late lunch-" Motoki started, finally getting his shoe on, only to be interrupted by a squeal.

"Is he here? Mamo-chan!" Usagi peered around, looking high and low in typical Usagi fashion.

"Yeah, I think he's still talking with-"

"Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan!" Usagi stopped her calling with a sudden gasp.

There was Mamoru, just around the DDR games. He was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Not the typical roses he presented her, but some mix of purple and blue flowers. And was that the Outer Senshi? Was that Michiru holding one of the flowers from the bouquet? Gorgeous, talented, cultured, mature Michiru holding a flower from Mamoru.

Usagi's heart fell. She completely overlooked the fact that Haruka was also standing there, an arm thrown about Michiru's shoulders. Her friends could literally see the line of thought that Usagi was following and hurried to intercept, but were too late.

"Mamo-chan…" Usagi whimpered before dashing over to him.

Mamoru blinked when he felt a sudden weight on his arm, interrupting his conversation with the three Outer Senshi.

"Eh? Usako?"

"Mamo-chan, did you really give Michiru-san flowers?"

Setsuna let out a small chuckle, which she covered up, putting things together quickly. Haruka, in response, clutched Michiru closer, wrapping both arms tightly around the Senshi of Neptune in a possessive embrace.

Mamoru blinked, and then spoke rapidly. "No! Well yes, but not like you're thinking Usako!"

"Usako! You still call me that even now?" Usagi wailed.

"No Usako, listen…"

"Don't call me Usako! Mamo-chan…you're two-timing!"

"Usagi-chan! Matte!" Ami said trying to get Usagi's attention before things got even more melodramatic. She was ignored in the midst of Usagi's personal drama and crisis.

"Two-timing! I should have known…all those signs! My world is ending!"

Mamoru at this point was looking pretty flabbergasted, trying to get a word in edgewise to Usagi's repeated jumping to conclusions.

"Usagi-chan." Michiru said from Haruka's embrace. "Usagi-chan." The second call got her attention. "It was just a gift of friendship. Nothing else. Besides, I think Mamoru-san might have had a few more problems if such things were true." She turned her head, looking up at Haruka from the corner of her eye.

"Mamoru-san, why don't you cut the suspense and tell Usagi-chan the real reason for the flowers?" Haruka said.

Mamoru sputtered at the quick control of events that the two accomplished, but quickly regained his footing. "Usako, these flowers are for you. I was going to surprise you…but you more surprised me." He held out the flowers. "I ask for forgiveness and renewal in our relationship. And a promise, that there will never be anybody between us."

"Oh Mamo-chan, gomen. I saw Michiru-san and the flowers and I just thought…I don't know, but it was rather silly wasn't it?" Usagi replied, trying to accept the bouquet and hug Mamoru simultaneously.

Setsuna caught her two companions' attention during this exchange. "We've talked to Mamoru-kun. That's good enough for now. We won't be able to make much of an impact about our mission now. All their heads are stuck up in the clouds of the 'miracle-romance.'" This part was said with a smile. "I have to go…the Time Gate calls."

"Will you be back for dinner?" Michiru asked.

Setsuna closed her eyes for a moment, getting the feel of the Time Stream. "Yes…just a small displacement. See you in a bit." She formed a small portal, just big enough for her to step into, and out of the way from prying eyes from outside or inside the Crown.

"Bye Setsuna-san, be careful." Haruka warned.

"You be careful Haruka-chan." Setsuna replied with a wry gin as she stepped into the portal. "Please keep an eye on the time once you get back home. Remember, I'll be home for dinner." With this last cryptic comment, Setsuna vanished.

Haruka sniffed, but there was an amused smile on her face. "I have no idea what's she talking about."

"Whatever you say, Ruka-chan. Looks like things have cleared up for our couple." Michiru responded, also smiling.

"You caused some problems there Michi-chan. I admit…I was a bit jealous too."

"A bit?" Michiru questioned, thinking of Haruka's arms still resting tight around her.

"Yep." Haruka nuzzled her face into Michiru's hair. "Mmmm…you smell nice."

"Just for you, Haruka." Michiru whispered.

"Come on, let's get out of here. Like Setsuna said, we wouldn't be able to really get the importance of what we're trying to do across. Besides, let odango and the others have some fun."

"The sea is calm. I don't think we will have to worry about daimons or anything today."

"It's a good thing that your violin practice was cancelled today. And no races or anything for me either. On top of that, getting out of school today…"

"I still feel kind of bad about that…it's not like us to skip school. It's not like me...our situation is dire…and they still don't understand what we have to do. But when I see them today, I can't focus. I don't like it. It's not me."

"Michi-chan…don't worry koi. Setsuna-san encouraged us to skip today. Besides, you know our teachers would let either of us get away with anything. It's nice having a big name at times."

"It's not that. It's that…I mean…what if something happens while we're gone? At Mugen Gakuen, I mean. Plus, what if today had been the day to infiltrate?"

"Michiru, Setsuna-san recommended that we take a break. I'm taking that to mean that this might be one of our last days of peace for awhile. Setsuna-san knows what she is talking about, if you can't focus on the mission just for today…it's okay. Don't worry. You don't want to get wrinkles."

Michiru looked pacified at Haruka's reasoning, but then her face took on a look of mock vanity that Haruka could hear in her tone of voice despite being unable to see her face. "Wrinkles? Kaioh Michiru doesn't get wrinkles."

"You would still look beautiful with wrinkles."

"Ara?"

"Hai. You know, I was jealous earlier." Haruka whispered into Michiru's ear. Usagi and Mamoru were still talking, the Inner Senshi occasionally interrupting them. They had yet to pay attention to them or Setsuna's disappearance.

"You, jealous? Usually when it comes to them," She nodded at the rest of the Sailor Team. "it's me getting jealous."

"Odango might be cute, and the others certainly do have admirable qualities as well." Haruka said. "But you…are the only one for me."

Michiru smiled, and turned around in Haruka's arms, putting her own around her partner's neck, their faces inches apart.

"You're beautiful Haruka…inside and out." Michiru's voice was so full of sincerity, so full of love; Haruka found herself wondering how she could have gotten the love of someone so perfect. "We'll never be separated. Not in death or life."

The full implication of Michiru's words hit Haruka. But as she was about to protest, she realized it was futile. Both had shown already they were willing to die for and with the other. So instead of protesting, she smiled. "I'm so lucky to have you." She whispered.

Michiru closed her eyes and kissed her briefly. A light lingering touch, that left Haruka's lips burning and breath quickened. The intimacy of their words and embrace had closed them off to the rest of the world even as they took place in a public atmosphere.

It was time for them to leave. They could talk to Usagi and the others later. Like Setsuna said and they had reasoned, it was enough to talk to Mamoru now. They would enjoy their day together; the calm before the storm.

"Odango-atama, we'll be talking to you later." Haruka said, cutting through the conversation taking place.

"But I thought you said you wanted to talk to them." Mamoru commented, looking quizzical.

"Later. Today's not the day. Besides, we talked to you already, and that's enough for now." Haruka replied pointedly.

"Haruka-san, Michiru-san…wait, where did Setsuna-san go?" Ami said.

"The Time Gate. Something about a minor displacement. I would not worry too much. She's left us on occasion like this." Michiru replied. "Usagi-chan, I apologize for the misunderstanding."

"Oh, Michiru-san! It's my fault. I shouldn't be so…"

"Conclusive?" Ami supplied.

"Stupid." Rei added.

Usagi growled, but didn't say anything in response, only grabbed onto Mamoru tighter with one hand, the other clutching the bouquet.

"We'll be seeing you around." Haruka said. "Sayonara." She offered her arm to Michiru, who took it. And with final goodbyes they left the Crown. If one looked closely they could see sakura blossoms and if one concentrated hard enough, a faint music could be heard, beautiful and soothing in nature.

"Mamo-chan, what did Haruka-san mean by already talking to you." Usagi looked up at Mamoru with big eyes.

Mamoru sighed. "They gave me some more warnings on the Silence. And to stay away from Tomoe Hotaru."

"Do they still think she can be the Messiah of Silence?" Makoto questioned.

"Yes, in fact, they seemed almost certain of it."

"How could they kill one small girl? I don't understand." Usagi replied. "There is another way, I know it!"

"They do things their way Usako. Always will, I bet. There's a lot about them we don't understand." Mamoru answered. "To look at them…it's hard to imagine them as Sailor Senshi like they are."

"Yes, Setsuna-san can be aloof, Haruka-san hot-tempered, and Michiru-san cold, but it's hard to see them out to kill a little girl." Ami replied.

"They were nice to us, remember, before they found out our other identities. And even now, after the Talisman incident, they aren't cruel to us. Just distant." Rei supplemented.

"Why can't we just join forces?" Usagi wondered.

"Because they are the Sailor Senshi of the Outer Solar System." Mamoru supplied. "I know that in the future we will all work together."

"I hope that day comes soon. They are powerful." Usagi said. The others nodded in agreement. There was a moment of silence. "You know…Haruka-san looked good today in her jacket."

Mamoru groaned. "Usako, please! We just had a long conversation about this!" He sounded near exasperation.

"Well, she did." Minako giggled.

"Michiru-san looked good too. And Setsuna-san." Rei added, looking serious. "How do they do it?"

"What?"

"How do all three of them manage to always look so perfect?"

"That's a good question Rei-chan, and I don't think I even want to try to answer it." Ami replied.

"They're like movie-stars!" Minako exclaimed.

"You know, when I saw them today, they were literally stopping people in their tracks and turning heads. Motoki-kun, nearly had a heart attack over them." Mamoru laughed.

Motoki heard his name from his position over at the cash register. "Hey, Mamoru-kun! What are you talking about?"

The girls all looked at each other before sliding up over to the unwitting Motoki. He exchanged a panicked glance with Mamoru.

"Hey, Motoki-san, what do you think about Setsuna-san, Haruka-san, and Michiru-san?" Minako said, a wide grin on her face.

"Eh? W-What do I think about them? Well…ahem…" His face turned red. "Haruka-san…is attractive in her own way. Setsuna-san is very exotic and beautiful appearing. And Michiru-san is drop-dead gorgeous." He spat out in a rush.

The girls giggled at Motoki's reaction…and then sighed collectively.

"How do they manage it?" Makoto echoed Rei's earlier question. "Oh well…at least with Haruka-san and Michiru-san's relationship, we don't have to worry about them stealing anybody else."

"Mako-chan! What's that supposed to mean?" Usagi exclaimed indignantly.

"Well, if odango-atama would think, we wouldn't have to worry about it anyway." Rei said, evoking Usagi's fury

"Usagi-chan," Ami interrupted before Usagi could get even more worked up. "you probably didn't notice early, talking with Mamoru, but if you could have seen the two…they're entirely devoted to one another. I don't think you'll have to worry about Michiru-san stealing Mamoru-san, and don't pay to much attention to Haruka-san. She just thinks we're all cute."

"Ami-chan, we're you eaves-dropping?" Minako asked.

Ami's face quickly flamed up. "Um…maybe…"

"Oh! Ami-chan! I'm so proud of you!"

"I don't think eaves-dropping is a thing to be proud of Minako-chan." Makoto said dryly.

"Regardless," Rei continued. "Haruka-san and Michiru-san do make a good couple."

-A few hours later-

"Damnit! What did I tell you two earlier?" Sailor Pluto exclaimed, stepping out of the Time portal, aloof personae destroyed with her cursing and the hand covering her eyes

"Eh, is it dinnertime already?"

**Fin**

A/N: Thanks for the reviews for last chapter!

It might be more than a week before the next one gets out because I have a couple of papers to write and couple of exams as well.


	4. Chocolate Cake

**Edited 1/31/07**

A/N: Ah yes, this one was stewing around in my mind for awhile. I couldn't quite picture Haruka or Michiru doing this really…but it got written anyway.

Disclaimer: If I owned Sailor Moon…it would have been all about Haruka and Michiru from episode one.

**Chocolate Cake**

By Yavapai

"Alright, the cookies are finished." Makoto said, giving a winning grin before opening the oven and carefully taking out the delectable treats.

Usagi watched anxiously from the corner of the Makoto's small kitchen, almost drooling in anticipation as Makoto carefully set the cookie sheet down. Ami smiled in amusement at her friend.

"Usagi-chan, you want to give the cookies a few more minutes to cool. We've been over this plenty of times." Ami said exasperatingly.

"I know Ami-chan! But Mako-chan's cookies are soooo good!"

Minako and Rei were working on the next batch of cookies, chocolate-chip and peanut-butter respectively, while Ami was keeping Usagi somewhat entertained and distracted. The Sailor Team did not quite feel up to the dramatics of Usagi's cooking attempts for the day. Just as Usagi's impatience was about to get the best of her, the doorbell rang.

"Oh! They're here!" She exclaimed. "I got the door!"

Usagi made the short dash to the door, opening it to reveal…an old man with a familiar, disgruntled looking cat.

"Luna!"

"Oh, do you know this cat?" The old man questioned. "I found it outside my apartment door. I was wondering if Makoto-san knew it because I think I've seen it before. But apparently you know it. It was just napping there, but I didn't want it to stay, so I thought I should check with Makoto-san. Are you a friend of Makoto-san? I do hope…"

Makoto, at this point, had come from the kitchen to see who was at the door, and sighed when she saw her neighbor. Usagi was still trying to catch up to everything he was saying, when she interrupted him. "Oh, hello Tanaka-sama."

"Makoto-san, your friend here seems to know this cat…"

"Hai, hai." Makoto interrupted her rather longwinded neighbor. "Usagi-chan, why don't you get Luna and come back inside."

Usagi took Luna, who was being held by the scruff of her neck from Tanaka. The cat promptly jumped away from Usagi's arms and disappeared into Makoto's apartment. Usagi gave a rather nervous laugh before following the obviously agitated Luna.

"Arigato, Tanaka-sama. But there's something baking in the oven." Makoto said quickly before he could start talking again. "Sayonara!" She shut the door quickly, leaving a stumped Tanaka who was still trying to figure out everything that happened in the space of a few seconds. He shrugged a few seconds later and made his way back to his own apartment.

"Luna! Why were you sleeping outside that man's apartment?" Usagi questioned in Makoto's living room.

"He had the comfiest welcome mat. How was I supposed to know he would pick me up? Who actually picks up strange cats and carries them to neighbors' apartments?" Luna protested, still looking agitated. "He was rough too, doesn't know how to carry a cat." She muttered.

Makoto walked past the conversation between girl and cat, and back into the kitchen. She stopped, and sighed, realizing that she should have known better than to leave Minako and Rei alone together, for however brief a time. The two had a few smudges of flour on their faces, but they were staring in muted horror at Ami, who was completely covered in the stuff. Ami herself looked rather speechless, but it was hard to tell her reaction under all that flour.

"Poor Ami-chan." Makoto thought, almost willing to let the blue-haired girl blow up at the other two. Ami had probably just been watching the rest of the cookies bake and had gotten caught in some sort of Minako devised accident.

"Okay!" Makoto said, drawing attention on herself and probably saving Minako and Rei from whatever reaction Ami would make. "Ami-chan, you go hop in my shower. You got your sleepover stuff, so just go ahead and put on your pajamas. And I'll finish the cookies…and take care of these two." She finished menacingly, ushering Ami out of the kitchen. Once Ami was in her bathroom, and she could hear water running, Makoto went back into the kitchen, passing by a loud Usagi and demure Luna in the process.

"Minako-chan! Look what you did!"

"I did? Rei-chan, not only did you make Ami-chan a mess, you ruined the cookies and messed up Mako-chan's kitchen!"

"Me? It was all you! You were the one…!"

"…you both can clean up, ne?" Makoto interrupted, her face told them that they better not have any objections. "I'll finish and salvage the cookies."

The other two girls looked at each before bowing their heads and nodding. "Hai, Mako-chan."

As they busied themselves with their tasks, Usagi came back into the kitchen followed by a sniffing Luna. "Mako-chan…can I have a cookie now?" Usagi pouted.

"Yes, go ahead."

Usagi squealed, and was about to grab a cookie when the doorbell rang again. There was a moment of hesitation, of indecision as she precariously teetered between the cookies and the door as everyone else was too preoccupied to answer.

"I got it!" She exclaimed after a few seconds. She made the dash back out of the kitchen and through the living room. She reached the door, opening it, "Finally! I'm glad you…nani?"

"Usa-ko." Mamoru smiled.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi jumped onto him. "But Mamo-chan…this is girls only, so you got to go away."

"I know, but you left this at my apartment earlier." Mamoru responded. "So I thought I would drop it by."

Usagi looked at the book held in his hand, and a made a face. "Mamo-chan…"

"Usagi-chan," Ami suddenly said, appearing fresh and clean from her shower, all signs of flour gone. "Did you leave your books at Mamoru-san's apartment on purpose?" She said this quietly, her voice almost sounding hurt.

Usagi, for her part, attempted to fight off the blush that came to her cheeks. "N-no. Of course not Ami-chan!" She reached out and took the book from Mamoru with a nervous laugh. Mamoru gave her a quick kiss before turning around and walking away. Usagi closed the door behind him, and turned to face Ami. "It's a good thing Mamo-chan brought my book by." She said with a plastered grin on her face.

Ami studied her briefly. "Okay, Usagi-chan." With that, Ami finished toweling her hair, settled the towel around her shoulders before sitting down on Makoto's couch, a book in hand. Luna wandered over to the blue-haired genius before settling down in Ami's lap. One hand stroked the cat, while the other turned the pages. It looked like neither of them would be moving for awhile.

Usagi made her way back to the kitchen, bound and determined to get a cookie now. Makoto was just taking some more cookies out of the oven and replacing them with cookies that needed to be baked. Minako and Rei had managed to clean up a lot of the flour, but still had a bit of work to do on the cabinets and on their person.

"Mako-chan…" Usagi began.

"Hai, Usagi-chan, right there." Makoto pointed with one finger to a pile of cookies sitting on a plate. Usagi smiled brilliantly, promptly took the whole plate of cookies, and went back into the living room. Makoto sighed, and then spared a glance at Minako and Rei who were working quite diligently.

A few minutes later, Minako and Rei had the majority of flour cleaned up and the last batch of cookies were in the oven. There was a brief moment where all three of them sighed and rested against the kitchen counter, weary from their endeavors. Then the doorbell ran again.

"I got it!" Usagi said, her voice muffled through cookies.

The other three headed into Makoto's living room as Usagi reached the door.

"Finally! Haruka-san, Michiru-san, Setsuna-san, Hotaru-chan, it's great to see you all!"

Haruka grinned roguishly in the doorway, "We just saw each other yesterday Koneko-chan."

Usagi blushed, "But still…"

"What Usagi-chan means to say is that she's been waiting for you all to get here for a while now." Ami said, she had put her book down and Luna had stood up in her lap to stretch.

"Ami-chan!" Was the indignant response.

"Usagi-chan, move out of the doorway so they all can come inside." Makoto said.

"Eh? Oh…gomen." Usagi moved out of the way, letting the Outer Senshi through the house. Haruka passed by with a wink directed at Usagi holding a large duffel bag filled with the Outers' sleep stuff, Hotaru followed her with a hug, Setsuna with a friendly smile, and finally Michiru…holding a cake.

A chocolate cake, visible inside the Tupperware it was contained in.

Despite consuming numerous cookies, Usagi felt herself drooling.

"Michirrrruuuu-saaaaaan." She said with a wide smile, eyes all on the cake. Michiru kept a straight face, but all the others could see the laughter in her eyes.

"Yes, Usagi-chan?" She feigned ignorance.

"Caaaaaaakkkkkkkeeeeeee."

"Hmmm? What was that Usagi-chan?"

"Cake?"

"Hai."

"Homemade?"

"Hai."

"Chocolate?"

"Hai."

"Can I eat it now?"

"Iie"

"Whyyyy?"

"Because I see cookie crumbs on your face, and you can wait awhile to eat the cake." Michiru responded, the others sweatdropped at motherly tone.

"Don't worry Usagi-san," Hotaru spoke up from where she was petting Luna. "Michiru-mama's cake is always worth the wait."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that hime-chan. Makoto-chan can still beat my cooking any day." Michiru said with a slight smile, hinting neither arrogance nor delight. She turned toward Makoto, still holding the cake. "Makoto-chan, can I put this in the kitchen?"

"Of course, go ahead."

The next few hours were spent rapidly. Everyone enjoyed the Sailor Senshi sleepovers, a common place event in the post-Galaxia days. For the most part, they tended to be fun, light-hearted events; but every now and then they adopted a somber more serious atmosphere, discussing and making what plans they could for the future. Even Setsuna, who was usually teased mercilessly by Haruka, seemed to enjoy the gatherings. Setsuna could easily hold her own over Haruka, long now use to her housemate's teasing.

There were many laughing fits, quite a few games, and a lot of cookies eaten. So many in fact that by the time Michiru's cake came around, even Usagi could only manage a few bites.

"It's really good Michiru-san. I'll have to get that recipe from you. I've never been satisfied with my own chocolate cake. But I don't think I can eat anything else right now." Makoto replied, holding her stomach.

There were murmurs of agreement and quite a few groans as they thought about eating another bite. Needless to say, everyone's sweet tooth was definitely satiated.

"It's fine. We can have it for breakfast in the morning." Michiru reasoned as she picked the cake up to take back into the kitchen.

It was approaching one o'clock in the morning, and the Senshi were gradually winding down. Hotaru was already asleep curled up in the armchair. It was agreed that Makoto and Ami would share Makoto's bed because there just was not enough room for nine people in the small living room. Usagi called the couch despite Setsuna's joking claims, playing off Haruka's many comments, that as the old woman she should not sleep on the floor. She picked up Hotaru from the armchair, not a very comfortable place to sleep, and settled down with her on a layer of sleeping bags, cattycornered to the TV, murmuring soothing words as her daughter woke up briefly. They curled around each other and were soon asleep, their soft breathing mixing with Usagi's slight snores. She had fallen asleep within minutes of stretching out on the couch. Luna took over the armchair in Hotaru's place. After Rei and Minako got settled down in front of the couch, the coffee table pushed up against the wall and out of the way, Makoto and Ami headed off to Makoto's small room to get some sleep. This left Haruka and Michiru, both of whom were still wide awake.

A brief glance was exchanged and Haruka led Michiru to Makoto's small balcony. They rested easily against each other for a few moments in a contented silence, taking in the nightlife of Tokyo, and enjoying the cool night air.

"Are you cold?" Haruka said softly.

"A little bit, but you're pretty warm."

"I'm a lot of things."

"That's true, but don't let it go to your head koi."

Haruka wrapped her arms around Michiru tighter as her partner rested the back of her head against her shoulder.

"When do you think Crystal Tokyo will come?"

"I don't know. Could be any day now. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I'll have eternity to spend with you."

"Ara, is that a bad thing?"

"Don't be silly."

"I love you too."

Haruka sought Michiru's lips for a quick, reassuring kiss. "I love you."

Michiru laughed lightly in happiness, "I think we got our own fairytale romance in the end."

"Hai." Haruka smiled.

"You know, there's a certain rightness to all of this."

"To all of what?"

"This." Michiru gestured indoors toward their fellow Senshi. "All of us here together. It's something I want to protect."

"We'll protect it, koi. It's our job. Usagi-chan will soon be Serenity-sama, and we won't love her any less; it's possible that we'll love her more. Hotaru-chan will soon catch up to the rest of us in appearance. Minako-chan, Rei-chan, Makoto-chan, and Ami-chan…they've almost all completely matured, and yet there's still something innocent about them. And Setsuna, our friendship with her will only get stronger. There's a lot to protect. But we'll do it."

"We've done it before." Michiru whispered, head turned into the crook of Haruka's neck. "Ah, but no need to be serious is there?"

Haruka shivered at Michiru's breath against her neck, and the seductive whisper of her words.

"Michi-chan…not here…" Haruka said; the tone of her voice slightly off.

"Ah, gomen. Sometimes I forget how sensitive you are to me."

"You little minx." Haruka's words were said teasingly, placed with a quick kiss to Michiru's temple.

Michiru giggled softly, utterly content, "I'm wide awake, damn you."

"Such words are not befitting of a proper lady. But good; because I'm wide awake too, and you can keep me company."

"You're a bad influence on me."

"If it makes you feel better to think that way…then I won't stop you." Haruka responded with a smirk.

"Haruka!" Michiru responded, lightly hitting her partner with a hand. She leaned back in Haruka's arms, locking her own around on her partner's neck, so that she could look into bright green eyes. "You wouldn't know what to do without me."

"My life would probably be a lot easier…"

Michiru gave her partner a flat stare.

"…but it wouldn't be near as fun."

Michiru sighed pleasantly, and rested her head back on Haruka's shoulder. They spent quite a few minutes in this position, relaxing in each other's embrace.

"Neptune would be right there." Michiru said, breaking the quiet. Or the slightly muted quiet you got in Tokyo on a weekday night. She lifted her arm, a single slender finger pointed award to the stars. Of course, where she pointed, the planet could not actually be seen.

"Uranus is near it tonight." Haruka responded.

"Did you know that Neptune actually has the strongest winds in the solar system?"

Haruka groaned and buried her face in Michiru's hair. "Michiru, we're done with school."

"Don't you think it's interesting though?"

"Are you trying to propose a connection between the winds and my Senshi powers?"

"Oh, I don't know. It was just an observation."

"Michiru." Haruka whispered, "I want you."

The aqua-haired woman laughed softly. She ran her hand up Haruka's chest slowly and sensually before letting a single finger rest on the other woman's lips.

"Haruka, there's no place for us to go. All of our friends and family are in there sleeping!"

"That was definitely not a denial, the bathroom then?"

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm always serious when it comes to you…" Haruka whispered, a hand snaking under Michiru's shirt, to the bare skin underneath.

Michiru took in her partner's serious stare, and let her reservations go. She sighed, "Not the bathroom, I would be so tempted to use the shower. Besides, that's kind of risky. With as much liquids everyone took in tonight, someone will probably have to use the bathroom."

Haruka grinned. "Makoto-san doesn't have any big closets, does she?"

"No, and obviously the living room and the bedroom are not optional. So that leaves…"

"The kitchen." They said together.

"You're going to have to keep the vocals to a minimum." Haruka said. "This isn't Rei-chan's temple."

"This always happens…why can't I control myself around you?" Michiru whispered.

"It's the same for me, koi. There was that night at the Tsukino's. It was a good thing they were gone; it certainly left ample enough space. And then there was Ami-chan's apartment…we got lucky that Mizuno-san had to work the nightshift at the hospital." Haruka threaded her fingers through Michiru's hair.

"Don't forget the time at Minako-chan's home." Michiru said with amusment, placing light kisses along Haruka's jaw line.

Haruka's face flushed, both at Michiru's attentions and the memories of that evening, "I thought her mother was going to catch us for sure."

"She certainly didn't leave you alone for very long did she?"

"Michi-chan." Haruka shuddered. "Let's not talk about those kinds of things."

Michiru giggled against Haruka. "Mmm-kay, Ruka-chan." She suddenly kissed Haruka full on the lips, catching the blonde by surprise.

Haruka shook her head after they parted; a pleased half smile on her face. "Who would have thought…the elegant, graceful, premiere violinist of Tokyo gets it on with her lover in her friend's homes. I could see it all over the media."

"No need to be so crude." Michiru said playfully.

"I admit; you bring out the best and worst in me."

"Is that so?"

"Mostly the best." Haruka said, and brought her lips to Michiru's again in a slow, promising kiss.

Michiru smiled into the kiss, and broke away. "Come on now, Haruka. Let's go make something in the kitchen." She said teasingly, pulling Haruka by the hand.

"Oh, I'll make something alright." Haruka responded, adding certain emphasis on words.

"Don't be such a hentai koibito." Michiru said, before kissing Haruka again briefly. As they separated, Michiru opened the door to the living room. A bit of hushed laughter, and another kiss in the middle of the darkened living, and they were in the kitchen, closing the door carefully behind them.

Haruka did not waste anytime. As soon as the door was closed, she pulled Michiru up against her for a blistering kiss; the kind that left bruised lips and hands in intimate places.

Michiru responded with one leg hooked up around Haruka, and the blonde instinctively took her partner's slight weight. Soon, Michiru had both legs wrapped around Haruka's waist. The blonde senshi groaned into the kiss at the added contact as their lips remained locked. She maneuvered them to the kitchen island, setting Michiru on it, and then guiding her down against it. Michiru's hands snaked up the back of her shirt, feeling the bare skin and lean muscles, before one hand maneuvered to the front, finding a breast. Haruka broke their lip lock, and butterfly kissed her way down her partner's jaw and onto her neck eliciting a muffled moan response. She paused briefly and felt Michiru do the same, and they shared a look of tenderness, love, and desire.

Their lips met in another kiss, this one slow and sensual, but just as passionate as the ones before. Haruka guided her hand to Michiru's knee, keeping one hand steady on the island's counter to hold some of her weight. She let her hand travel up Michiru's leg, pushing the skirt up as it went, revealing creamy skin. The violinist tugged up at Haruka's shirt, and Haruka slid off of Michiru, and put her weight on the floor. Michiru followed her to help, however unnecessarily, with the process so that she was still sitting on the counter with Haruka standing immediately in front of her between parted legs. As soon as her shirt had been pulled off, Haruka felt Michiru at her throat, trailing kisses down her neck to her collar bone. Before she realized at it, her bra had been removed and she felt a familiar, but very pleasant wetness at one breast and a hand cupping the other one.

Haruka bit down on her lip to hold back the moan that she wanted to respond with. Instead she tangled her hands in Michiru's soft hair, pulling her partner closer against her. Some breathless moments later, Haruka decided that Michiru still had too many clothes on. She guided the aqua-haired woman up for a kiss, and then broke it off as she quickly lifted Michiru's shirt off. Michiru let herself be guided back down against the counter, allowing her partner to take momentary control. Both losing themselves in a trail of heated kisses, Haruka had a hand pressed between Michiru's parted legs, skirt pushed up out of the way. Michiru's own hand was working at the belt and buttons at her lover's waist.

Then the kitchen door opened.

They both froze. Eyes that had been previously closed, lost in passion, were now wide open. Both held their breath, despite the intense need to pant, wondering just who it was and if the whole apartment would be woken up in response.

Sea-blue eyes looked past her partner's shoulder, and caught a slender figure with a curious hairstyle framed in the doorway.

Usagi moved away from the door, letting it close behind her. She walked toward them, silent, her face hidden by the darkness. Haruka and Michiru remained silent as well, afraid to say anything and to react at all. This was not quite something they could tease off. Haruka was still posed over Michiru, half-dressed, but she had turned her head to watch Usagi as she started the few steps that would take her to them.

But she passed right by them, heading to the other side of the counter, a pair of green and blue eyes watching her all the way. Usagi, as much as they could tell, knew exactly what she wanted. She removed the cover off of Michiru's chocolate cake that was keeping it fresh, and sunk one hand into the cake. She brought it up to her mouth and tore into it in a typical Usagi fashion. This was repeated quite a few times, till Michiru's cake lost all of its shape and was just an irregular form on the platter.

Then Usagi turned to them, and Haruka let out a short burst of quiet laughter at Usagi's chocolate covered face. She was silenced by Michiru's cool glare. Then Haruka remembered the situation they were in, and both waited anxiously for Usagi to do anything. But their princess had other goals in mind; she again walked right by them. She was at the door and had gone back through it before the two half-dressed women realized it.

Haruka and Michiru stared at each other for a silent second, eyes still wide, and then struggled to keep their laughter hushed. Haruka fell against Michiru, feeling the other woman shaking in mirth underneath her.

"Look what your little escapade almost caused." Haruka whispered between chuckles.

"Mind? I think you're also the guilty party here. Sleepwalking! Can you believe it?" Michiru giggled back. "She could have woken up at any second."

"We got lucky."

"Usagi-chan will be in trouble tomorrow for sure." Michiru said, nodding her head toward the mess that was once a cake. Her attention turned back to Haruka, eyes half-clouded in desire.

"This is risky." Haruka said warningly, but struggling not to fall back into their activities.

"Come on now, Haruka, I didn't see you complaining earlier." Michiru whispered, pressing one thigh between Haruka's legs.

Haruka stared at Michiru, fighting desire and common sense. She grinned a second later, what was a little risk to them? "Well then, we might as well finish what we started. Hopefully we won't have anymore interruptions."

Michiru smiled slightly, eyes at half-mast. "Good…because I want you…now." She purred.

Haruka's voice was husky. "Then I'll have to do something about that."

Michiru wrapped her arms around Haruka's neck and brought her down for another kiss.

Makoto woke up first in the morning. She yawned lazily and stretched her muscles before getting out of the bed, being careful to not disturb Ami who was sleeping quietly stretched out on her side.

She tiptoed through the bedroom and out of her door, and then quietly made her way through the living room. She noted Setsuna and Hotaru curled up together in one corner. The petite pre-teen was mumbling something in Setsuna's protective arms. Haruka and Michiru were settled down behind in the narrow space to the side of the couch, wrapped in each other's arms. Rei and Minako looked like they had been through a struggle in their sleep in front of the couch. The blanket they had been sharing had been kicked to Rei's feet, who was naturally hot-natured, while Minako still had part of it covering her waist. Rei's hair was all strewn about, and Minako actually had a fist clutched next to Rei's side. Luna was still asleep on the armchair and Usagi was snoring softly on the couch, her face turned into the pillows.

Makoto smile at the scene, feeling very at peace, thinking of her friends gathered in her living room and Ami left in the bedroom.

She went into the kitchen, meaning to put on coffee or start some tea. But her eyes immediately fell upon Michiru's cake. Or what was Michiru's cake. It was nothing but an indistinguishable mound. Makoto narrowed her eyes. She could not believe someone would mistreat such masterfully created food in this way.

She quickly realized the culprit and marched back into the living room. She went over to Usagi, and turned the blonde's head toward her so that she could see her face. And there it was, chocolate stains all around her mouth, and some had even gotten onto her couch pillows.

"Usagi-chan, wake up!" Makoto said, hands on her hips and glaring down at the sleeping girl. She completely forgot about the other girls, waking them up with her rather loud, forceful tone.

"Hmm…Mamo-eh…Makoto-chan?"

"Usagi-chan, you ate Michiru-san's cake!"

"Nani?"

"It's all over you!"

"I did no such thing! I slept the whole night!"

"Explain the chocolate all over your face then."

Over in their little sleeping area, Michiru and Haruka stirred at Makoto's first outburst. They quickly realize what was going on, and shared smiles. Haruka muffled her laughter by burying her face into Michiru's hair. She could feel her partner laughing next to her, her body quaking in humor.

"Makoto-chan." Michiru managed to get out between laughter. She quickly composed herself as she got Makoto's attention. "Maybe Usagi-chan sleepwalked and ate it."

Makoto "hmphed" and gave Usagi a final penetrating glare. Usagi squeaked in response.

"I guess there's no helping it." Makoto said, finally breaking into a forgiving smile. "I'll go make some pancakes."

Usagi sighed in relief, and then got up to go wash the chocolate off of her face in the bathroom. The others had all figured out what had happened by this point, and were slowly getting up.

By the time Usagi got out of the bathroom, only Haruka and Michiru were left in the living room, and Luna, who had yet to stir herself from the armchair. The rest were in the kitchen, helping however they could with breakfast.

"So was that cake good last night koneko-chan?" Haruka questioned, a grin playing at her lips.

Usagi's cheeks quickly became flushed.

"Usagi-chan, do you remember anything from last night?" Michiru asked.

Usagi frowned thoughtfully. "No, nothing at all. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Haruka responded as she and Michiru exchanged glances and smiles.

**-Fin-**

A/N: I think I could have made this funnier, and/or a bit raunchier, but there you go. Thanks for reading!


	5. Undefined

A/N: This one goes all over the place…and it's more of a fan reflection then anything. It almost touches base with future ideas for one-shots too.

**Undefined**

By Yavapai

Michiru loved to watch Haruka run; lean muscles tensed, moving effortlessly. She was the only one who felt those same muscles quiver beneath her. But she was the only one that could ever stop the running in the first place.

Haruka loved to watch Michiru perform; poise and perfection that could be heard and seen. She was the only one who saw that poise vanish in shallow breaths and wanton cries. But she was the only one to know the true perfection that could be achieved.

To any others they could be untouchable and an enigma. But never to each other.

It didn't matter that she could be cold and distant, Caribbean blue eyes hard and calculating.

It didn't matter that she could be hot-tempered and impatient, green eyes cloudy and angry.

It did matter when a concert called Michiru away and Haruka had a race to attend. They both knew they would perform well, but never as well as when the other was around. But that didn't matter either. It was the separation that did.

The reunion was always best. Frenzied kisses, passionate love-making, and the afterglow of togetherness.

Michiru pretended that it didn't hurt when Haruka's attention was diverted and especially when it was returned. But she knew that she didn't have to worry overly much. Haruka would not leave her for all the world.

Haruka pretended that it didn't bother her that males would watch Michiru with only half hidden desire, only to see her do nothing to dissuade their advances. But when those sea-blue eyes turned back to her, she forgot why she worried so.

They both had flashes of remembrance of the past. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. They were distant from the others, their princess and the Inners at the Moon Kingdom, yet they watched from afar with pride at what they protected. And maybe a little bit of loneliness too. But they had each still, and their sister, Pluto, who was even more distant then them. And there was always the odd event that called them back to the Moon Kingdom, where they would be reunited with their sisters yet again.

They remembered the horror and the desecration that met them when they returned that final time. The final time that brought them their deaths…together.

They did not talk about it much, but it was there. It was the cause of nightmares…among other reasons, past, present, and future. But when one of them could feel the other beside them in the throes of the nighttime terror, there were always comforting arms and warm kisses to stop the tears and violent images.

Haruka hated it when she cried. She hated that weakness to be shown, even to Michiru. Her aqua-haired partner would always hold her and say the right soothing words and noises, before saying the right soothing things.

Michiru cried even less then Haruka. She sometimes wondered if she even knew how. She wasn't raised to cry. But when she did, it was over Haruka. And she was the one person who could make it better.

Crying was not much part of their life anymore. The time for tears had passed. They fought together and with their sisters and with their princess. And they had ultimately been victorious.

Their sisters, the "–san" had long been dropped, would be the first to tell that they were partners in every sense of the word. And they would acknowledge it; Michiru with that mysterious half-smile, happiness in her eyes, and Haruka with that pleased smirk, eyes mirroring her partner's. But it had been a long road and the fight, hard. They knew all too well the fear that accompanied them when they fought. Always afraid something would happen to the other. At the same time, there was renewed vigor that came with it and confidence that they could never have alone, as Michiru knew all too well.

She did not like to talk of the time before Haruka; that very brief period of her life between Setsuna's visit with the acceptance of her identity as Sailor Neptune and when Haruka awakened as Sailor Uranus. And while she found camaraderie with Minako at fighting alone, it was only with Haruka she finally shared her fear and eventual despair in those days. Haruka only ever told Michiru about her earlier years, an uncomfortable experience at best.

They shared everything, and kept nothing. In some ways, theirs was not a selfish relationship. In others, it was the ultimate form of selfishness. To receive everything from each other, even as it is given freely.

They had yet to grow bored with each other physically…and never thought they would.

Every time they made love, it was an experience of a lifetime. Hands, skin, lips. A blur of passion. A sensual build-up. A slow exploration.

Haruka's charm. Michiru's beauty.

Her speed. Her talent.

Her witticism. Her intelligence.

Her confidence. Her social mannerisms.

Flirtatiousness, attraction, sexual appeal, stance, voice, eyes, sidelong looks, humor, water, wind, oceans, heavens.

They never did get bored when with each other.

**Fin**

A/N: More of a long drabble. I don't even know what to call this. I felt the need to write something. And I knew it would be a bit before I got going on another longer one-shot. So here's this thing…for now. I seriously don't even know what this is or where it came from. Blame it on my long week. I'll get a longer one-shot going this weekend…and hopefully it'll be up by the end of next week. It'll either be one with the Starlights, or something kinda serious.


	6. To Assume

A/N: So here's the Starlight one shot.

Please read this next bit, it's very important.

You would not believe the problems I had when it came down to the Star Lights gender. I finally decided I would write them as female because in the manga they are female. And for the anime, their true identities are female, so I figured that if the Sailor Team knows of it, they might just go ahead and refer to them as female because essentially that is what they are…even if they change into males…but if they do change into males…pronouns should refer to them as males…gah! But anyway, so I'm writing them as females, referring to them as "she" and using "her." I hope this does not bother anyone. However, it is up to you and your preference to whether if they are actually male or female.

**To Assume**

or

**Seiya Must Die…According to Haruka**

By Yavapai

Haruka opened the door for Michiru, letting her graceful partner step out of the car, one slender leg following the other. Haruka habitually stepped to the side and closed the door a little harder than necessary after Michiru grabbed her handbag and violin case.

Michiru raised an eyebrow. "You're agitated."

"I don't see why you have to do this concert." Haruka responded stiffly as they stood by the signature yellow convertible.

Michiru sighed. "Haruka, it's just a concert. A performance. And it's for charity."

"Still…with them!"

"After all we've been through with the Starlights and Galaxia, you still can't let your initial dislike of them go?"

"Yaten-san and Taiki-san aren't all that bad...but Seiya-san is such a…" Haruka let out a growl of frustration.

"There's nothing wrong with Seiya-san." Michiru replied calmly, leaning against Haruka's car.

"Oh yes! I forgot! 'Can you help me change?'" Haruka said angrily, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Haruka." Michiru said. "Haruka, look at me."

Haruka felt Michiru grab her hands and intertwine their fingers. She refused to look down at the aqua-haired woman, still very upset with the whole situation.

"Haruka, you know I was just trying to find out information. I've told you all this before. You trust me. I know you do. Why does Seiya-san bother you so?" Michiru said softly, letting go of Haruka's hands to wrap her arms around the other woman's neck.

Haruka let out a rather woeful sigh. "I know. But Seiya-san…you…Usagi-chan…he…she just didn't belong."

"Oh, Ruka-chan, Seiya-san is a Sailor Senshi. She does belong. But I understand, and it is kind of cute. Two of the most important women in your life being flirted with by this apparent womanizing outsider." Michiru responded as Haruka's green eyes met hers.

"Who said you were one of the most important women in my life?" Haruka challenged.

Michiru answered with a brief kiss, lips lingering and teasing. She moved to Haruka's ear to whisper sensually, "Do you want to change that idea?"

The aqua-haired girl then walked off, leaving a momentarily stunned Haruka in her wake. It didn't help that she was wearing a rather formfitting top and one of her shorter skirts. She turned back halfway, and slowly tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Come on now Haruka. The concert is tonight, and we have to do a final sound check." Haruka could see the amusement in her eyes even from that distance. "You can beat up Seiya-san if she tries anything. After all…we're all girls in the end."

Haruka dutifully followed her partner, complacently offering her arm as she caught up to the shorter woman. Her stance though, told Michiru that Haruka was still not all that happy. Regardless, Haruka led them toward the back entrance; already both of them could see the busy crew members milling about and the activity that would meet them once they entered the security checkpoint.

The Starlights had shared with their Sailor Senshi sisters that they would leave tomorrow evening with their princess. However, they wanted to give Earth a final farewell in one last concert. It had been Seiya's idea to ask Michiru to play with them again, and Taiki and Yaten had readily agreed. When the three had brought it up last week, at a Sailor Team party, they had generated much excitement among the younger girls. Michiru had demurely agreed with a wry glance at her partner. The past few days had been frantic with advertising being put out all over the media, and the city of Tokyo had been glad to grant them the usage of one of the bigger outdoor stadiums even on such short notice. They expected the turnout to be large, and apparently it would also be broadcasted live as "The Sensational Pop/Rock Group the Three Lights' Last Ever Performance with Accompaniment by Renowned Violinist Kaioh Michiru."

Michiru had spent many hours with the Starlights the past week, always accompanied by Haruka and a couple of times Setsuna and Hotaru, working on what pieces to perform, changing some of them, and then rehearsing through them. The other Senshi had been in-and-out as well. Usagi and Minako were especially attracted to the glam and glitter of the approaching concert. Luckily for everyone, Mamoru kept all of Usagi's attention now. In return though, at least to Haruka's perspective, Seiya's flirting had been one-upped on Michiru. Everyone else would say that she spent more time praising and looking after Kakyuu, and granted there was a little flirting going on. But this was the Sailor Team. There was always flirting going on.

"Kaioh-san! The Three Lights are already on stage. They're performing a final sound check on all the songs for tonight. Please go ahead and join them." One of the organizers of the event said, pointing toward the direction of the stage, as Haruka and Michiru entered the security checkpoint.

"Arigatou." Michiru responded before pulling Haruka away. The blonde was busy staring down just about everybody there, trying to make her displeasure known. She was doing a pretty good job of it.

"I swear…I won't be able to rest until they're gone." Haruka said as they made their way to the stage. Now they could hear the sounds of a guitar and Seiya's voice ranging over a song as they approached the stage from the backside.

Michiru grinned as she heard the song cut off and Seiya's raised voice replace the melody. She made eye contact with Haruka, giving her partner's hand a slight squeeze, before moving to the stage, letting the blonde make her way around to the front.

"Yaten! I think that says _pianissimo_ not _forte_. Taiki, could you try to come in on the right beat?" Seiya snapped, ignoring her siblings' glares.

"Seiya-san, I do believe you got a little ahead of the tempo and Yaten is supposed to come in on the down beat in _forte_." Michiru said as she came on to the stage, violin case in hand.

"Eh? Oh…um?" Seiya responded, exactly opposite of Michiru's graceful countenance, nearly tripping over the microphone wire.

"You'll have to forgive Seiya, Michiru-san. He always gets a little wound up the day of a concert." Taiki said as Michiru sat her violin case down.

"Where's Haruka-san?" Seiya grumbled, a little disgusted with herself and a little annoyed with her siblings.

"Over there." Michiru responded with a tilt of her head, having sensed her partner just arrive to the front of the stage. Haruka sat down on the first row of seats, still not looking very happy as she crossed her arms and stared determinedly at the stage.

"Hey, Tenoh-san!" Seiya called as Michiru was getting set up with her violin and her two siblings took a water break.

"What?" Haruka responded menacingly.

"Why are you looking so freaking miserable?"

"Cause I have to look at your ugly face."

"Is that so? Michiru-san doesn't think I'm ugly, do you Michi-chan?" Seiya grinned at Haruka's furious expression as she used the blonde's coveted affectionate name for Michiru.

"Don't antagonize her Seiya-san." Michiru chided as she drew her bow across the violin strings to test the sound.

"Where's your princess Seiya-kun?" Haruka responded, drawing out the 'kun.' "Lost her again?"

Seiya's own face contorted into fury at Haruka's almost offhanded comment.

"Haruka." Michiru said warningly, drawing Haruka's attention to her. Their eyes met, the familiar mix of green and blue, and the Senshi of the Winds let out a deep breath even as Seiya was about to explode onto her.

"Gomennasi, Seiya-san." Haruka said softly, bowing her head. But it was enough to get Seiya's attention. The Starlight paused, and then frustratingly threw her hands up in the air before turning her back to Haruka.

"Where is Kakyuu-sama anyway?" Michiru interposed.

"With odango and Mamoru-kun…and probably the rest of them too." Seiya answered.

Michiru made a vague sound of acknowledgment and then played a couple of scales on her violin. Seiya meanwhile had whirled back around to Haruka and made her way to the end of the stage. She stood on the edge peering down at the blonde who was doing an excellent job of ignoring the Starlight, content to watch Michiru warm-up behind her. Seiya kept up with it though, hands on her hips, almost leering at the other Sailor Senshi. Haruka finally looked at Seiya, green eyes cool, hands locked behind her head.

"What?"

Seiya smirked. "You're whipped Tenoh-san."

Haruka remained silent for a good moment. Seiya was just about to claim victory to this particular battle and turn back around when Haruka spoke.

"Maybe so. But it's worth it."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day up until early evening preparing for the concert. Everyone was happy with their performances in the end so they took a few hours to rest and relax before they were called back to the stage. The rest of the Sailor Team and Kakyuu had showed up during their lounging, diffusing some of the tension present between Seiya and Haruka. While the two had been glaring at each other silently, Michiru and Taiki had quite a pleasant conversation about the music and the mechanics of it in the Starlight's home world, both of them trying not to get too annoyed with the other two. Michiru had kept a restraining hand on Haruka's leg though. Yaten, meanwhile, had amused himself by halfway paying attention to Michiru and Taiki's conversation and poking fun at Seiya.

Usagi, of course, immediately upon arrival, was set upon by the Starlights, Seiya especially, after they had exuberantly greeted their own princess. After some brief greetings, she discovered the food set out by the crew members, and destroyed it claiming she had not had time to eat since breakfast. Luckily everyone managed to get their own fair share before it completely disappeared. Yaten accompanied Minako and Rei out to the stage for some imaginary performing to appease both of them, while Taiki, Ami, and Setsuna settled into one of their more intellectual conversations. Seiya and Haruka were much less on edge around each other with their respective princesses near. Michiru knew that Haruka felt much less threatened with other people intermixing with them, which allowed both of them to relax. They spent a nice hour talking with Kakyuu, Seiya, Usagi, Makoto, and Hotaru about meaningless things with the others going in and out of the conversation.

Hotaru was nearly giddy with excitement about getting to see her Michiru-mama perform with the Three Lights. She was of course, absent from their original joint-concert and now she was all questions and exclamations about the quickly approaching performance. Kakyuu was also anxious to see her Senshi perform, having known they had been calling out to her the whole time with their songs. To her, it would be most pleasant to hear it in person. The rest of the Sailor Team, recalling the last concert between Michiru and the Three Lights, were enthusiastic about this one even more so. Even Setsuna responded demurely from her position on the couch that she wondered how Michiru's classical style would mix with the Pop/Rock combo of the Three Lights. Haruka had glanced knowingly over at Setsuna when she gave that answer.

"Setsuna-san….I know you're just as excited as the rest of us, but if you don't want to say it….that's okay. We know how you like to keep up with your personae." Haruka grinned.

Setsuna responded by chucking a throw pillow at her housemate. Haruka dodged it, only to have it hit Michiru as she was returning from getting bottled water.

"Children, behave." Michiru said purposely over-motherly, hands on her hips.

Haruka exchanged glances with Setsuna and then Hotaru, ignoring the others present in the room. Quick as the wind, she abruptly tackled Michiru onto the couch; leaving her partner no chance to escape and laying halfway on Setsuna who just so happened to be sitting there. Haruka, of course, did not plan it that way and had conveniently forgotten her housemate was sitting there.

"Hotaru! Tickle Wall! Now!" Haruka commanded. Hotaru immediately got at Michiru's ribs, who was helpless but not to laugh, defenseless with Haruka pinning her down. Setsuna somehow managed to squirm herself away from the attack and the giggling bodies of her family.

A minute later and all three were giggling, collapsed on the couch, leaving all the others but Setsuna wondering what just happened.

"Ahem…look who's the child now, Michiru-chan." Setsuna said lightly. "You better get going though if you want enough time to get ready before the concert."

Michiru glanced at the wall clock in the room they had taken over as a lounge. She exchanged a knowing glance with Haruka and stood up. Leave it to Setsuna to keep them on track. The blonde stole a quick kiss once she stood up before Michiru could go.

"I'll be there in a minute to see if you need anything." Haruka said, as Michiru rested a soft hand against her face. She brought her own hands up and took Michiru's hand in her own. She gave a quick kiss to the knuckles as Michiru pulled away from her. Michiru paused in her departure, hand still held, to give Haruka one of her more sensual, inviting smiles. Haruka grinned and spared a glance to Seiya who was watching them.

Before Michiru could pull her hand away, Haruka brought the violinist back into her arms. The Senshi of the Seas gave a slight "oh" of surprise, but it was quickly stifled as Haruka thoroughly kissed her, hands delving into the aqua tresses, and eyes closed in the abrupt passionate embrace.

Haruke let the kiss go in a slow, lingering touch. Sea-blue eyes opened to give a suspicious stare. Haruka feigned an innocent look, before pushing her partner lightly toward the door.

"See you in a few." The blonde said as Michiru walked toward the door, shooting a glance back at her partner.

Haruka turned around to face the rest of the room's occupants as Michiru vanished from the doorway toward her dressing room. She took in the grins of Usagi and the others and the blush from Ami. Kakyuu had a rather serene expression on her face, one that was definitely fitting for a princess. Setsuna sighed, as usual, caught onto whatever plan Haruka had now formed, while Hotaru was pretty much oblivious to the happenings. Taiki had remained stony face, and Yaten was trying to appear detached. Haruka met Seiya's stare dead on.

She gave a triumphant grin. "Like I said, it's worth it."

While this exchange was going on, Michiru arrived at her dressing room. Stepping in, she reveled in the quiet that greeted her for the first time that day. It was not the most glamorous of dressing rooms, but it was nice enough. A brightly lit space with one couch, coffee table, and a single stool placed in front of a desk and mirror. The first thing that caught her attention was the rather large bouquet of flowers placed on the coffee table. It was beautiful and colorful, taking center place, and filling the room with a fragrant scent. Michiru smiled slightly. It was really thoughtful of Haruka. She knew her partner was having a tough time with the concert, but to still go out of her way and leave her flowers spoke volumes about the Senshi of the Winds.

Michiru strode over to the bouquet and picked up the card that was lying beside of it. It was simple, yet elegant with her name written in cursive in gold ink on the front. She opened it up and read the contents:

_Michiru-san,_

_Thank you for taking the time to perform with us in our final concert. Your elegance and beauty add a presence to the stage that is unrivaled. To perform with you, to fight alongside of you is truly an honor. Your talent is exceptional, especially for one of the Moon Kingdom. Tell Tenoh-san that she better take care of you. And both of you better take care of odango. But I know you will._

_Yours,_

_Seiya _

The message was clear, praising and sweet while still showing a slightly reserved nature. The signature was simple. No Kou Seiya. No Sailor Star Fighter. No Haruka.

It was awfully sweet of Seiya, but Michiru could not help but feel disappointed that it was not from Haruka. She sat the card back down with a sigh, and moved over to the desk and mirror to put on the finishing touches of makeup. She knew what Haruka was up to with that kiss just a few minutes ago. It had not really bothered her then, but combined with Seiya's flowers, she was now rather agitated and not quite sure why. Rationally, a part of her mind attributed it to the lack of sleep she was getting this week preparing for the concert and Haruka's general un-acceptance of the concert. Even before, when they were un-allied with the other Senshi and would do anything to stop the Silence, with Haruka by her side she could easily stay in a pleasant mood despite the adverse conditions of the time.

Finishing her makeup, she walked over to the rack pushed in the corner where her dress for the evening was hanging, courtesy of a crew member. It was a bit different from her normal performance attire. But then again, her concerts were usually a black-tie affair. She examined it, and held the black material up against her. The dress was donated by some fashion designer or another who was a fan of her music. She had not really paid all that much attention to the details, busy with all the other aspects of performing. She had been measured for it earlier in the week, but this was her first time seeing it. Putting on the new dress proved a distracting enough task, but she could not fully lace up the back herself.

Michiru stood, halfway dressed, contemplating the flowers in front of her when the door to her dressing room opened. She knew it had to be Haruka, anyone else would have knocked.

"Hey." The blonde's voice greeted her. "Need some help with that?"

"Yes." Came the distant reply.

Haruka gave her a look, but Michiru had turned her back, waiting for her partner to finish lacing up the dress. The dress revealed a generous portion of Michiru's back, only covering halfway with wide crisscrossing material which Haruka knew she needed to tie. She reached out to Michiru when she got there though, running a hand across the smooth inviting skin of her partner, before pulling the aqua-haired girl back against her. She peered over Michiru's shoulder into the mirror that they were standing in front of.

Michiru was not looking at her reflection, or at Haruka, put past both of them into something the Senshi of the Winds could not see or grasp into her reality. Haruka caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye, and for the first time noticed the rather large bouquet of flowers sitting on the coffee table. Now that she saw them, she wondered how she missed them in the first place. But of course, Michiru had filled her vision when she walked into the dressing room. Instead of asking directly what was wrong, for she knew it was more then likely something to do with her, especially with how unresponsive Michiru was in their embrace, she asked about the flowers as she moved to tie the back of Michiru's dress.

"So where'd the flowers come from?"

Michiru's eyes connected to her own through the mirror.

"Seiya-san."

"Nani?" Haruka growled.

"It was very considerate of her wasn't it?" Michiru responded coldly as she pulled from Haruka and turned around to face her.

Haruka forced herself to not ogle at the vision of her partner in the rather sexy little number she had on. It was a halter-style dress with a low neckline…ah…if she could bend over just a little bit…The black material clung to her curves, and on Michiru's leftside, the skirt portion came up high so that there were only a few centimeters of material, while on the right side, the skirt reached to her knees so that is was diagonal across her front and back. It was a very nice dress…and very nice on Michiru…and there was a lot of skin…

"Haruka." Michiru snapped.

The blonde shook her head, there were too many other things to focus on. Like pacifying Michiru. And ripping Seiya's head off. "Yeah, it was nice of her. Nice of her so that now I can actually punch her."

"Will you stop it? She gave me flowers. What did you do? No, never mind, I can't do this right now. I have a concert to perform in, I can't be distracted." Michiru walked past Haruka, to the door and opened it. "Look, can we discuss this after the concert."

Haruka knew that door was for her, and she took the slow measured steps toward it. She paused at the door, a little angry, a little confused, and very much hurt. She hated when they fought. The Senshi of the Winds stared at into the hallway. She could see crew members rushing about, taking care of last minute preparations. She could easily hear the noise from the thousands of people gathered at the stadium, a kind of low roar of voices, cell phone rings, and the background music playing. It could wait.

"No. We'll talk about this now." She responded calmly, now completely in control of her feelings. And she reached out and closed the door, leaving all of that behind and both of them inside.

"I'm going on stage in a few minutes. This can wait." Michiru said, looking at her coolly.

"No. Do you really want to perform agitated like this in front of thousands of people?" Haruka remained adament, leaning against the door.

"I've performed in worse emotional states before." Michiru gave the level reply.

"Well, I think I'd much rather watch and listen to you after we have everything worked out."

Michiru restrained herself from any biting comments that would only make things worse. "Fine." She nodded, and then walked over to sit down on the loveseat. Haruka remained at the door.

There was a brief moment of silence. Then Michiru spoke. "Why does Seiya-san bother you so now? She's leaving tomorrow, and who knows when we'll see them again. Haruka, I try, but I just don't understand. I know we talked about this earlier, but really?"

Haruka sighed. "It is part of what you said earlier. It bothers me that she would touch or flirt with you and Usagi-chan. And another part of me…it kills me that the Starlights were the last ones there with Usagi-chan against Galaxia. It kills me that we tried to fight against them that entire period, and in the end, they protected her the best. It kills me that I wasn't strong enough…to protect you…or Usagi-chan. And for Seiya-san…I just wish she would stay away from you." That last bit was said rather shamefully as Haruka anticipated the next question.

"Don't you trust me? No…I know you trust me. Haruka, we are at a point and have been at a point where I know that I'll always love you and you'll always love me. I see now, and I understand probably just how complicated your feelings are concerning the Starlights. And they are from out of our Solar System…it's natural for us, and Setsuna and Hotaru, not to trust them. And Seiya-san is…rather difficult at times, ne?" Michiru responded, the final comment said with a slight smile.

"At times?"

Michiru gave Haruka a pointed look for that comment. "And you can be too."

"Oh really?" Haruka moved from the doorway to sit beside Michiru on the couch. The blonde wrapped an arm around her partner, bringing her in close.

"Hai. Haruka…gomen…I had such a short temper, I let it get the best of me."

"That's not like you."

"I know. I should not have let it happen. But we've been pulling and pushing against each other all week…and I was tired of it…and tired of your petty games with Seiya-san. And when I walked in here, and saw the flowers…" She gestured toward the bouquet still sitting in front of them on the coffee table. "…I thought they were from you…and I was so happy. I thought you had at least decided to support me for my performance with those flowers. But then they were from Seiya. And I was just so angry, and truthfully, disappointed. I let it overrule me. I'm sorry."

"No, Michiru. I'm sorry. You know, that no matter what, I'll always support you. But I did make it difficult this week…I know that…for reasons we just talked about…But I'm the one that should be sorry. And I am."

"We're both sorry then? I'm glad we talked about this now…I think I will perform much better."

"At least I'm good for that then."

"Ara, I would say you're good for a lot of things. These are nice flowers though. Don't you think?" Michiru teased lightly, standing up, and moving away from Haruka's one-armed embrace.

"I've gotten you better." Haruka said confidently.

Michiru gave a light laugh. "I do believe you have. So, what do you think of my dress. It's a bit revealing isn't it?"

"It's gorgeous. You're gorgeous." Haruka stood, reaching out to Michiru and giving her a tight hug. The aqua-haired girl lifted her head up to initiate a kiss, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Kaioh-san! It's showtime. Hurry please! Everyone else is ready and the Starlights are in position!" Came the voice of a crew member, filtered through the door.

"I'm coming! I'm ready!" Michiru responded breaking away from Haruka leaving her disappointed.

"I'll see you then. After the concert. I'll be sitting in the front row with Usagi-tachi and Kakyuu-sama." Haruka said as she followed Michiru to open the door.

"Are you going to wish me good luck?" Michiru asked as they paused in the doorway.

"You don't need it. You always perform well."

Michiru laughed, and quickly kissed her. "That's all the luck I need." And she took off down the hallway, crew members hurrying her on.

Haruka watched her as the crew fussed over her. They checked her makeup, they checked her dress, they gave her the wire and single headphone to listen more closely to the music being created, and they handed her the electric-acoustic violin for the concert. Not her famous Stradivarius, it did not quite fit in with a Pop/Rock concert, plus who would ever dream a fitting a Stradivarius for an amp? Just as quickly they brought her and the Starlights together, running over a few last minute details. Haruka shut Michiru's dressing room behind her, and made her way along the now deserted hallway to a side door that would take her too her seat.

She found Usagi and all the others sitting anxiously, ready for the concert to start. Kakyuu was looking around in amazement at all the people; her first time seeing this many humans gathered in one place, but one could tell she was ready to see her Senshi perform. Haruka took her seat next to Kakyuu, and engaged her in polite conversation. But it wasn't long before the lights were dimmed and the first note of the evening rippled through the stadium.

The concert was brilliant. Nobody remained sitting. Kakyuu seemed utterly enraptured. The Three Lights had such a stage presence, and nobody could deny Michiru either. The fans went utterly wild; no one wanted the concert to end. Haruka was not even sure how many encores they played. Only that by the very end the Three Lights and Michiru seemed pleased, but exhausted, having played over two hours worth of music

There were girls screaming for the Three Lights and a few guys too. And there were guys yelling out marriage proposals to Michiru. One drawback to that lovely dress she had on, and there were way too many people for Haruka to glare at; except for one rather obsessive female fan, sitting a few rows behind them. Haruka had at first chuckled at the odds of it, but as the fan had kept at it, Haruka could feel the jealously and protective nature twitching at her fingers.

After the Three Lights and Michiru exited the stage for the final time, a crew member came and quickly ushered Haruka and the rest toward the backstage where the performers of the evening were waiting, bottles of water in hand and towels in the other.

Haruka rushed toward Michiru. Her partner met her, and accepted the congratulatory hug, laughing as Haruka picked her up and spun her around. Hotaru joined them exclaiming her amazement and clutching onto Michiru in a hug. Setsuna also came over to them, with a satisfied smile, giving the aqua-haired girl a quick hug around Hotaru and Haruka.

"That was incredible." Kakyuu said, as she approached her own Senshi. "I heard your songs calling me before, but it is nothing like seeing and hearing them in person."

The Starlights looked pleased at this praise. But before anything else could be said between them and Kakyuu, Usagi and the others jumped in offering congratulations to Taiki, Seiya, Yaten, and Michiru, still excited from the concert. There were a few minutes of chaos as everyone tried to say something all at once, culminating in a lot of noise. During this, Michiru managed to tell Haruka that she was going to slip away to go change.

"Do you want some help?" Haruka grinned.

"I think I'll manage. But…I might need some help later tonight…" With that last promising remark, Michiru left her behind and the crowded backstage behind, the others still caught up in everything did not notice.

Haruka was soon wrapped up in conversation with Usagi about the concert. As she looked up and away from the other blonde to laugh at something she said, she caught a glimpse of all the others, still happily conversing…except for one.

"Excuse me, koneko-chan. I need to check up on Michiru…" Haruka said abruptly, interrupting whatever Usagi was going to say next and leaving the now rather bewildered blonde behind her.

Haruka rushed through the backstage area and into the side hallway where Michiru's dressing room was located, wild ideas rushing through her head. Everything that she and Michiru talked about earlier forgotten.

'It was those flowers…they probably had something in them that would make Michiru forget me totally and lose all inhibitions. I'm going to kill Seiya-san.'

Nevermind that this is a totally ridiculous notion

'She could have locked Michiru in the dressing room, and could be totally taking advantage of Michiru's post concert exhaustion.'

Nevermind that Michiru would never let anyone overpower her.

'Ah damn it, what is Seiya exactly?'

Nevermind that this question can not ever really be answered.

Haruka arrived at Michiru's dressing room quickly, all of these thoughts rushing through her head. She did not take a second to knock or rethink anything, she opened the door forcefully. It hit the inside of the dressing room wall with a bang, revealing the two people inside.

Michiru had her back to Seiya in a relaxed stance. Seiya was working at the tie of Michiru's dress, standing way to close to Michiru. Both of their faces had a look of surprise on them, and Seiya uttered a curse at the blonde's sudden appearance

Haruka saw red. She dashed in, just like the wind, and ignoring Michiru's cries of wait. Seiya was on the ground before she knew it, face throbbing in pain from Haruka's punch. The blonde reached down and pulled Seiya back up to her feet by her jacket. She drew her fist back again to land another punch, but just as she was about to swing Michiru appeared between them grasping Haruka's clenched hand in one of her own.

"Haruka." Michiru said, eyes pleading for her partner's attention as she placed her free hand on Haruka's cheek. The blonde met her gaze, registering the calm behind the sea-blue eyes. She let hand loosen on Seiya's jacket, and unclenched her fist in Michiru's hand. The aqua-haired woman, in response, twined their fingers together and brought their hands down.

"Haruka, this is not what it looks like. Remember what we talked about before?"

"But she was untying your dress! How am I supposed to take that? Don't tell me, you asked again, 'can you help me change?'"

Michiru stood her ground, refusing to let herself get angry, as she registered what Haruka saw probably did not look quite so innocent.

"No. You tied my dress in a knot earlier, I could not get it undone myself behind my back like it was. Seiya came in to see if I liked the flowers when she noticed I was gone, and because she was here, I asked her to untie it."

Haruka gaped as she took all of this in. "Oh."

"Shimatta, Haruka-san. That was a hell of a hit." Seiya said as she winced, looking into the mirror at the rapidly forming bruise.

"Gomen, Seiya-san. I...I assumed." Haruka responded looking abashed. This expression changed as she saw the forgiveness and slight amusement in Michiru's eyes. "Just think of it as a hit for giving my girlfriend flowers."

"I'm going to have fun explaining this one to all the others." Seiya announced as she turned away from mirror to look at the couple.

"Setsuna-san is going to have a field day with this." Haruka groaned.

Seiya laughed, and walked toward the door. "From what I know of Setsuna-san, I would say yes. Michiru-san, I think Tenoh-san here can help you with your dress and a bit more then what I could do." The last part was said with a wink as she vanished out of the door and closed it behind her.

"Ruka-chan, what am I going to do with you?" Michiru said, leaning against her partner.

"Sorry, Michiru, after all we talked about earlier…and I still reacted like that."

"It's okay. But you know, I think your going to be getting the couch tonight." Michiru laughed at Haruka's crestfallen expression.

"I understand." The blonde replied pitifully.

Michiru smiled sensually, sidled up against her. She brought their lips together, in passionate, drawn-out kiss "But would you like to help me now?"

**-Fin-**

A/N: I really liked how this started and how it ended, the middle…I don't know. I originally was going for straight-out humor. But this turned into something pretty serious. It gave me a chance to explain Haruka's feelings toward the Starlights, Seiya in particular. I'm sorry that Yaten and Taiki did not get as much screentime...but it just ended up like this and these oneshots are all about Haruka and Michiru in the end. The next one, I think, is going to take place in Crystal Tokyo and be fairly serious. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this one.


	7. Hostage

A/N: Okay, wow, here we go. This takes place a short time following the creation of Crystal Tokyo and Usagi's ascension to Serenity.

My viewpoint for the Crystal Tokyo I have set up: Serenity saves everyone from underneath the ice age. I don't mention if a long time passed under the ice for a reason, simply because I couldn't decide if I wanted a long time to pass. The Sailor Senshi still retain their old identities for now because Crystal Tokyo is still so new. I also have it set up that some time will pass between the creation of Crystal Tokyo and the banishing of people to Nemesis.

**Hostage**

By Yavapai

Her feet barely touched the ground, halls and rooms passing by in a blur. Her breath came in short gasps, but not because of the running. She was aware of the shouts and gasps that followed her from the numerous people she passed. But she had to get to the meeting room, where her companions would be, she had to get to Usagi…no, Serenity now…for answers, for assurance.

She passed the grand doors of the throne room, then the banquet room and grand ballroom. Around the kitchens, numerous entertaining rooms and lounges, and finally she made it her destination. She made it in record time, the meeting room reserved just for Neo-Queen Serenity, Endymion, the Sailor Senshi, and of course Luna and Artemis. The door was closed, but she opened it immediately upon arrival, nearly pushing it off its hinges. She stood in the doorway, one arm outstretched, looking at the familiar people gathered before her. They all stared back, standing around a large table, paused in mid-discussion from when she had burst into the room.

"What happened?" She demanded.

No one answered, the Senshi all avoided her gaze, afraid to say what she wanted to hear.

"What happened!?" She growled.

Neo-Queen Serenity came forward, approaching her with the graceful steps she lacked before her ascension. But when Serenity met her eyes, it was Usagi who was sharing her pain and willing her to calm.

"What happened?" She whispered desperately.

"Haruka…we just received a video feed from the United States." Serenity began, taking her Senshi's hand between her own once she reached her. Haruka remained silent, waiting for Serenity to continue.

"The extremists there…those that oppose us vehemently, they've united…Haruka…Michiru has been taken hostage."

* * *

The first few days following the creation of Crystal Tokyo, after Usagi had ascended into Serenity and had ultimately saved the Earth from the newest Ice Age, it seemed there would be no opposition to her rule. People were praising her and the Sailor Senshi in the streets all over the world. Though they knew better, they knew of the war that would come in a matter of days now. But the newly created Crystal Palace became a place of gathering. It was not, and still is not uncommon to look outside of the Palace and see thousands of people gathered from all over the world. Everyone had looked to Neo-Queen Serenity in the aftermath of the ice that froze over the world. The Crystal Palace and Crystal Tokyo became a testament to her power, the Palace literally constructed overnight and the city formed into a safe haven and capital of her power.

However, a month had past. People did not know what to think of this purification that Neo-Queen Serenity had softly mentioned. And there was confusion and doubt mixed in with the faith and belief. Serenity was now acknowledged as ruler in Japan and many other areas of the world, those that had been undeveloped especially had her complete loyalty. The more developed world and those countries of religious extremism were less than accepting of Serenity's rule. People had pointed to her as everything from the Second Coming, to a descendant of Mohammed, to the Antichrist.

The countries of the world had retained their politics and government like no time had passed. The developed world had regained control over itself quickly since the freeze, regrouping and changing as necessary. The United States was under a state of emergency, but remained in tact with their government up and running and wondering what to do about this self-proclaimed absolute monarch threatening world rule. In a rather unexpected event, the countries of the original supranational European Union had declared themselves as a single country, and they also had established order quickly following the chaos of the freeze.

Despite the cautious and ready stance the United States and the European Union took to Crystal Tokyo, the only blatant attack so far had come from the recovered North Korea. There had been a few minutes of terror as the Sailor Senshi watched the approaching the nuclear missile. But Serenity was confident in the protection laid over Crystal Tokyo by the Ginzuishou and the nuclear missile was obliterated, and Ami's computer revealed no radioactive traces in the air. Afterwards, the North Korean government was quickly overthrown and the whole country had pledged loyalty to Neo-Queen Serenity, the few that had opposed had fled to the still neutral China. This however had set the United Sates and European Union on edge even more so and made some anti-Serenity radicals even more dangerous.

Soon though, soon Serenity would have to use the Ginzuishou to purify the citizens of her Moon Kingdom. Then everything would come to head; a war, death, and eventual banishment to Nemesis for many on Earth. And the Sailor Senshi would be ready.

In the beginning, the Sailor Senshi's identities were revealed. It was impossible to hide their true selves with every eye focusing on them. Most of the names had not mean much. Only Michiru and Haruka's names garnered a lot of attention from the public, both celebrities in their own right. But the others, finding that their friends and families now knew the not-so secret life they led, found it hard to approach them. Solace and company fell to each other, only strengthening the bonds that they already shared. They had now become used to being referred to either as their given name or their identified planet, and also knew it was only a matter of time before their given names were dropped completely. It had been especially hard for the now reigning monarchs. Both of them had transformed, something about them was different from what used to be Usagi and Mamoru. Serenity and Endymion were the emblem of perfection. The perfect royal couple, eternally youthful and vibrant, yet also wise and powerful. And while Serenity adored her family and her friends of the past, they were now kept apart from her simply by the mantle she had taken up. But underneath Serenity and Endymion, Usagi and Mamoru remained. They refused to be placed on a pedestal by their friends. Originally, a few days of awkwardness passed, the Senshi that had become to be recognized as family, distant and respectful. However this led to a heated confrontation between the couple and their friends, but it ended in a mass of giggling women and a thoroughly confused Endymion. After that, things were just like they were before the ascension of Neo-Queen Serenity and Endymion, just with a lot of differences. Like running a kingdom.

The Sailor Senshi themselves felt more completely in tune with their planet. They kept their original names though, alternatively going between Senshi and human selves. They were working closely to form and run the new kingdom with their Queen and King. Their advice was valued. And they were there as friends to support, love, and provide a foundation. They were an extension of their Queen. They were the last line of defense and bodyguards, constantly there, both Inner and Outer. They each helped the citizens of Crystal Tokyo in various ways, making expenditures out into the city individually or as a group, as Sailor Senshi or as their original selves. And each were involved in their own projects. Ami was running the healthcare and hospitals for the city, also setting up a hospital ward inside of the Crystal Palace, as well as becoming enthralled in studying the developments of Crystal Tokyo when she found time. Rei had taken on the mantel of a spiritual leader, already many looking to her to help with conflictions of their religion and Serenity. Makoto became involved in public amenities, stemming from her original effort to feed everyone after the ice, developing into everything from electricity to trash collecting, adapting them for Queen Serenity's rule. Minako had accepted her role as the Senshi general, and she now spent the majority of her time preparing for the foreseeable conflict against those that would be eventually banished to Nemesis. Setsuna became a great source of information to the Queen, and while all the Senshi were advisors, it was Setsuna and her deep knowledge as Time Guardian that leant her respect from all the other Senshi, the royal couple, and Luna and Artemis. The two cats of Mau had adopted their original role from Queen Serenity I to Neo-Queen Serenity as advisors and guardians themselves. Hotaru found herself helping each of her sister Senshi, one day she was with Ami, helping in the infirmary and hospital ward of the Cyrstal Palace, another day she could be out with Haruka or Minako with their own duties.

Haruka gladly took on the job of securing Crystal Tokyo, assisting Minako with security and preparing a legion of volunteer forces. She put together a group of skilled volunteers, most with experience under various militaries, into patrolling the borders of the city, and setting up an easy communication system for the people to reach the Crystal Palace in case of an emergency. The Sailor Senshi could not be everywhere at once, and they knew the dangers that were to come. While Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion were the monarchy and absolute authority, it was not feasible for them to always be in public view and they were, by default, harder to approach for their rising omnipotent-like status. The Queen was adored by mass amounts as their savior and for what she had already accomplished, but there were those too, who hated her and what she stood for. Having either her or the King consistently exposed or traveling abroad to anti-Serenity countries to share their kingdom and message was not high on the list of any of the Senshi. Michiru was the obvious replacement after their identities were revealed. She was known, respected, trusted, and had the manners, skills, culture, and background to become the public figure of Neo-Queen Serenity's rule. She became the ambassador and representative of the kingdom. She also helped the royal couple with the inner workings of the kingdom and government having grown up with knowledge of the political scene. But it was her ambassadorial position that was the root of the current problem.

Haruka's hand tightened in Serenity's grasp at the news, but she showed no other outward reaction. Endymion and the other Senshi waited in the silence that followed, waiting for Serenity to continue, waiting for Haruka to react, waiting for Michiru to turn up suddenly among them unharmed and well.

Haruka spoke after a moment of digesting the information, her eyes pleading into that of her Queen's. "Can…let me see it."

Serenity nodded, understanding the request. "Mercury…Ami? The video please."

Ami wordlessly activated the controls to the room from her position at the table, instinctively having them mastered already as Serenity led Haruka to a seat around the table. The lights in the room darkened, and a projected image appeared on the far wall.

The Senshi observed the video silently, having seen it once already, but respecting Haruka's need and also looking for any clues in the video that could help them. Serenity remained standing behind Haruka, a hand placed on the Senshi of the Winds' shoulders for comfort. In turn, Endymion wrapped an arm around Serenity, providing the support that the Queen also needed in face of the danger of one of her own.

The image flickered on the screen, greatly contrasting to the sleek technology of the Crystal Palace. The picture was shady and obviously amateur material. But Michiru was easy to see, placed in the center with a single light hanging down over her. And it was Michiru in the video, not Sailor Neptune. She was seated in a chair, hands and legs bound, mouth gagged. A trail of dried blood along the right side of her face matted her head and skewed her eye shut tight. Otherwise she appeared to be unharmed, her other eye was open and she looked aware. However, there were four guns trained on her, and more figures around her in the periphery of the picture. The image stayed focused on Michiru for a solid minute before anything else happened.

A voice suddenly came over the video, a man's voice, impossible to identify as old or young. The voice spoke perfect Japanese, though it had a sliver of an accent. It was level, it was cold, calm, collected, and it was threatening.

"Serenity-sama. I have taken one of your beloved Senshi hostage. Quite the pretty girl she is eh? It's a shame she's got all that blood on her…And I don't think any of us would like to see her pretty face marred in any way. Pay attention, Serenity-sama. My colleagues and I, we've killed off all of Neptune-sama's escort, and I wouldn't want any other deaths on my hands or on my friends' so it would be for the best if you listened and acquiesced with our request.

"You have to understand Serenity-sama, monarchy is a thing of the past. A lot of people agree with me, I have a lot of friends, all over the world. And we are experienced and we have the desire to stop you. This purification thing…you've been advertising sounds a bit like brainwashing. And what gives you the right to change the way we think and behave? Take a good luck at your friend, your charge, your bodyguard here...we know what these 'Sailor Senshi' mean to you. Kaioh Michiru, renowned violinist, artist, cultured socialite of Japanese society, also Sailor Neptune, your political wonder-child. I want you to think carefully Serenity-sama, and then act carefully. Otherwise, Kaioh-san could die."

The voice paused, the last sentence weighing heavily on all in the room before speaking again.

"What makes you God Serenity-sama?"

Here the voice sounded angry, demanding, but the man behind the voice took a deep breath and continued.

"You have five days to make a decision. Japan is yours, we acknowledge that. But remove yourself and your campaigning from the rest of the world. There will be no purification on your part. Withdraw and we want your word that you will, for we know that you are a woman of your word and Kaioh-san will be returned to you unharmed. Stay in Japan, Serenity-sama. Otherwise any time you, your king, or one of your Senshi show a face outside of Crystal Tokyo, we will be there and we will find ways to destroy your Senshi one by one. And that is a promise. We are numerous. The free world is that…free. And we will not be subjected to your rule or your purification.

"Five days Serenity-sama. And we will come to you. There will be three dozen of us, on the North perimeter of Crystal Tokyo. We will be dressed in black and bear the flags of the United States, European Union, and other countries of the free world. Regardless of your decision, if any harm comes to any of us, Kaioh-san will die. If we hear anything about a rescue attempt; Kaioh-san will die. Our firearms will constantly be aimed at her head, you understand. Five days Serenity-sama."

And the video cut off.

The room remained silent as Ami channeled the lights back on and shutdown the video feed. The shock of Michiru's situation had worn off on everyone except for Haruka, having now seen the video twice. The shock had turned into a throbbing worry, and already, minds were working as to how to fix the situation. But now, they waited for Haruka's response.

She remained silent and stiff, eyes now looking down at the table in front of her and hands clenched in her lap.

"Haruka?" Serenity questioned squeezing her shoulder. She knelt down next to Haruka's chair, commanding her Senshi's attention.

Green eyes looked up and met Serenity's gaze. "Let me see the video again."

Serenity nodded, she had seen the look of determination and strength cementing Haruka's resolve. But more importantly, she had seen the anxiety and heartache lying behind the steel.

"Ami-chan?"

As Ami set the video to play again, Haruka spoke. She met each one of her companions' eyes, Sailor Uranus in complete control. "Look closely, for any clue, any hint, whatsoever. There has to be something that could tell us where they are. I won't believe that they are perfect."

The others nodded, including Serenity and Endymion, and took seats around the center table. The video played again at Ami's command and all paid minute attention.

Haruka found the man's voice grating, his words likened to nails on a chalkboard. And it took all her effort not to stare at Michiru, still dressed in business attire, dried blood caking her face, and the one imploring sea-blue eye. Haruka recognized the message behind the gaze during the first viewing, a call of love to her, their queen and king, and their companions, and also a definite look of warning, mixed in with defiance. The man continued to speak, and now Haruka kept her sight upon the video looking for anything, anything at all that would give them something to work with. The figures in the background shrouded in darkness, the chair, the back wall, the guns trained at Michiru's head…wait…There!

"Mate!" The cry came unbidden from her throat.

Ami quickly paused the video and attention turned toward Haruka. "Where Haruka?"

"Ami, could you zoom in on the left gun, closest to us. Right above the second handle." If she was right…Haruka refused to allow her voice to waver.

"A serial number?" Minako questioned, as Ami brought the frozen picture up on the gun and then allowing the computer to refresh the image in a much clearer view.

"Hai. Ami, could you look up that serial number? The model for all of their firearms appears the same…" Haruka trailed off into thought.

Endymion had caught onto what Haruka was thinking. "This group could only have formed recently. They would have to arm themselves from somebody nearby to them, someone with connections and who would also know this group's recent movements. Ami, if you could run a scan on the serial number of the gun. We could figure out who distributed the firearms or who sold them to this group. We know most firearms are in the hands of just a few in each country now. For this many weapons, it probably came from one person, especially if it is a particular model."

"Michiru was last in the United States in Washington D.C. And she probably is not very far from her last location. It would be too risky to move her for very far or for very long. It would give Michiru too much of a chance to escape or for someone else to uncover their movements." Ami put in her two cents, already running a tracer on the serial number encrypted on the gun; she let out a small satisfied smile at the end of her sentence. "There. Only one name in northeastern United States carrying that particular firearm and the means to distribute mass quantities of it. Family name Caldwell. Given…Anderson."

"Let's pay a visit to Anderson Caldwell." Makoto said, punching a fist into her hand.

"Hang on Mako-chan. Not all of us need to or can go." Minako put in. She stood up from her seat, posture commanding and tall; she had really grown into her spot as leader of the Senshi with help and advice from all of her companions and regular talks with Setsuna on the Silver Millenium of the past. It had been difficult for her at first, simply getting used to commanding her Senshi sisters where it had originally been Sailor Moon, not to mention there was something slightly intimidating about trying to order the Outer Senshi around. But she was strong and not one to back down or shirk her duty.

"Yes, some of us need to stay here with Serenity." Setsuna said from her position in the corner, voice as calm and as level as ever.

Minako brought a hand to her chin to think, a pose eerily similar to that of Sailor Neptune, which she realize a few seconds later with a frantic look to Haruka and Serenity. Haruka was not looking at her thankfully, eyes dead ahead, but her Queen was watching, worry lines encroaching at her normally flawless face and silver-blue eyes filled with intense emotion. Minako swallowed, closing her eyes briefly, before issuing orders.

"Haruka, of course, will go, and Setsuna and Hotaru. The rest of us will stay." She took a breath, but before any one could question her reasoning she spoke again. "I know…we have not divided on Inner-Outer basis for awhile, but for this mission. We went quick, silent, and lethal. We need to get to them before they leave for here. It will be too obvious for us to make a move once they're here."

"Mina-chan…" Serenity began, unable to voice what she wanted to say.

"Serenity-sama, I know...'lethal' right? We will not let your plans fall apart, and I know Michiru would agree. We will do anything to save one of our own." Minako replied, sitting back down, suddenly looking tired.

"Michiru is worth more than all of them, Serenity. You don't have to say it, but you know it." Makoto added.

"Minna...Michiru is...important to me, just like each of you are…I love her, like I love each of you…just bring her back to me and to us, but not at your own risk." Serenity turned toward the Outers. "Stay tonight, get information and what you need, get ready to go."

"We'll break for dinner now. Meet back here in one hour." Minako responded standing back up and moving toward the door.

"Serenity-sama, I'm going to put the Palace into lockdown for the next five days, or until this situation is resolved." Makoto said as she filed out the door.

Hotaru was the last one out, casting a glance back to the three remaining inside the meeting room.

Serenity sat down next to the still Haruka, while Endymion faded into the background, leaving the two women in relative privacy.

"You know Haruka, after I met Michiru and knew of the future that would eventually come…I set my image to be that of her. She appeared and acted like a perfect princess. I never thought I would be as graceful or elegant as her." Serenity said softly.

"She always thought you would be the perfect Queen." Haruka answered.

"And you did not?" Serenity responded rather haughtily, but a smile playing at her lips took away the manner.

Haruka let herself grin. "I had my doubts."

Silence fell between the two and Serenity reached out to take Haruka's hand.

"The chance that this Caldwell fellow is the man who supplied this group is slim. The chance that he knows anything about them or their location is also slim." Haruka said slowly.

Serenity kept her silence.

"I won't let you do anything to try to save her. We all know you can't compromise your kingdom and Michiru understands that too. We'll have to bring this group down now…the purification… "

"…will be soon. The Ginzuishou has been calling out to me; it will soon be time to begin. I'll have to openly issue the ultimatum that we've only been hinting at these past few weeks. I know that in the ensuing conflict, there will be so many that will go to Nemesis and so many more death will lay a claim too. Michiru, she's done a fabulous job among the rest of the world, despite setbacks and other uncooperative governments. I can not really blame them...they won't exist soon…but she's been able to work around that, and put them at ease. On top of that, she's helped Endymion and I so much with the government here, easing the conversion to our rule. She...she's been put in this position because of me Haruka! I thought more people would choose purification, the more in touch they were with my kingdom…but it's not worth the death of one us…of Michiru." Serenity proclaimed, tears welling in her eyes.

"I'll get her back. And I know she'll do everything to try to get away." Haruka's voice was thick as she stood up. She gave a short bow to Endymion and another one to Serenity.

"Haruka," Serenity spoke, her voice steady, as Haruka went toward the door. "Michiru…she's strong."

"Hai…she is. Usagi…don't blame yourself. Don't ever blame yourself. Michiru would not want that. I…Kami-sama…" Haruka breathed. "I'll be strong."

There were so many words left unsaid in that simple final statement, but she vanished from the doorway leaving Serenity and Endymion behind. The door shut behind her, and she leaned heavily against the wall that was not thick enough to completely hide the muffled sob of her Queen and the comforting words of Endymion.

* * *

Michiru had kept careful track of the time since her capture. She studied the movements of her captors and had watched who took orders from whom. She probed with questions when not gagged. She was exhausted though, only able to doze off for brief cat naps for the past few days. The room she was kept in was bare. The single window covered with a thick dark material kept out any light, so the only light she was given, came from the flickering light above her.

The bonds had long since started chafing her wrists, her shoulders and arms ached from being tied in the same position for the past few days. And she had a damn itch that she could not get too. Not to mention, the blood caking her face had overstayed its welcome and she would have loved to take a shower. But these were trivial matters. This group…these monsters had gunned down the staff and escort with her; those that she had come to trust and know over the past few weeks as they had traveled to various countries. They were threatening her Queen's rule and compromising her position. There was a cold rage for them, one that she buried now in efforts to escape.

Her heart ached for Haruka, a hunger that could not be subsided. She wanted to see her Senshi of the Winds again. To feel her strong arms about her. To run her own hands through the thick blonde hair. To see those deep-green eyes. To make love at least one more time and to tell her that she loved her again.

Food came twice a day. She did not really taste it, but she forced herself to eat it for substance. Water is what she really wanted, and wherever they held her, the call of the ocean was faint and muffled. She was running out of time she knew. They would be leaving in a few hours for Crystal Tokyo, most likely through illegally obtained private jets, she mused. One of the guards had felt the need to lay out the exact plans of the journey to her; flight to the city of Vladivostok in Russia on the coast of the Sea of Japan, ship to Japan, caravan to Crystal Tokyo. Many were quite talkative, and she had quickly learned to listen to the important information and ignore the rest. It was the worst when they brought up Serenity, but she had held her anger knowing there was nothing she could do at the moment.

And Michiru hated that there was nothing she could do. She hated feeling helpless, hated knowing that at the slightest movement she took, a bullet would be put through her head. She hated compromising the position of her Queen. And she hated the bloody visions of when she was captured that came to her during her brief sleep.

They had taken over the top level of a hotel in downtown D.C. while Michiru was working there. Her aides included about a dozen men and women with experience from the pre-Serenity Japanese government. She had recognized them, but they had proved themselves completely loyal to Serenity and to her, and had requested that their previous positions be forgotten. Her escort was something both Serenity and Haruka had insisted upon, despite her insistence that she could handle herself as Sailor Neptune. And she had not even had a chance to transform when they swarmed the top level of her hotel. They came from the roof, elevators, and stairs simultaneously during the night. Her escort was instantly killed and a number of her aides, overwhelmed by numbers. They were silent and lethal, and while her precognitive abilities had been hinting at something all day, nothing had been clear because it was a completely human threat. The Deep Aqua Mirror had only shown figures in black, flashing firearms and knives, and this kind of threat was ambiguous at best with the current situation and location. She had warned everyone, but it was not enough. She should have been ready the whole night, not working and trying to catch up on sleep. And when she had felt the flash of death in her sleep of one of her escorts, it was too late. She had woken up at her desk, from where she had fallen asleep over some paperwork, skirt and shirt wrinkled, only to already find them in her room. They dared her to transform, holding one of her aides at gunpoint in front of her, silencer on the nozzle. But when they had her in their clutches, they killed her aide anyway.

Michiru closed her eyes at the memory; the blood on the right side of her face had dried enough that with enough blinking she had gotten it to flake off around her eye, allowing vision for both. She perked up when she heard the quickly approaching footsteps coming toward the bare room she was contained in with her guards. Perhaps it was time to eat again, but it seemed early still, and it only sounded like a couple of footsteps at most. When it was time to eat, they tripled the guard around her, refusing to even give her an inkling of a second to use her hands for anything other than bringing food up to her mouth. Relieving herself was humiliating at first, but she quickly got use to the constant guard presence.

Her reverie was interrupted by the door opening. Two men, both looking hassled and annoyed, entered the room and quickly claimed attention.

"Edwards been by here? What about Ruiz, Cohen, Nguyen, or Nelson? They're all missing, and some others too. And Edwards has a lot to get set up, especially with Mashimo about Kaioh here." The first man she recognized, tall with dark hair and went by the name Crawford, she didn't know if it was a first or last name, spoke in English. It was no secret that Michiru knew English, so for him to tell all of that in her presence must mean he was extremely agitated. She had also gathered over the past few days that whoever this Edwards person was, they were high up in the ranks of this group.

"No. Haven't seen any of them since lunch." One of her guards replied. The others nodded in agreement.

"Damn! For all the times for them to disappear! Especially Edwards, what the hell is he thinking?"

"Maybe he isn't. The man practically stinks of weed everyday." A guard to her left demurred.

"Whatever. He's our supplier," The first guard said indicating his gun, "he knows what he's doing, he masterminded this whole thing, high or not."

"Except now he's missing." The man known as Crawford spoke back up, looking increasingly frustrated.

Michiru kept her face unreadable throughout this exchange, but whatever was happening could only be good for her. Crawford must have realized this, and strode menacingly toward her. He roughly grabbed her at the neck, hate-filled eyes connecting with hers.

"They don't show up and we can't go through with this…and I'll fuck you over."

He waited for her to respond, and when she didn't, he only grew angrier. With a guttural growl, he backslapped her, nearly forcing her chair over with the force of it.

"Slut, prancing around in your little Sailor skirts, still thinking she's better than all of us."

"Crawford, take it easy man. We don't want the other Sailor Senshi going ballistic if they see her messed up too bad." The man who came with Crawford rationalized, pulling him back.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. They piss me off though. All of them. Whatever happened to individual rights, and choosing our leaders? That's what our country is all about."

Michiru ached to soothe over these rationalizations with the truth of Neo-Queen Serenity, but she knew a lost cause when she saw one. Plus it would not have helped her situation at all so she kept her silence and sat out this exchange and see if she could learn anything. Her concentration was disrupted by a few tendrils of aqua hair fluttering into her face.

The wind.

She relished it.

Haruka.

Haruka was here.

"Anyway." Crawford continued, "We still need to find Edwards and the rest. You two." He pointed to two of her guards. "Come with us, to help search."

"Are you sure that's smart? Leaving just two to watch over Kaioh, Sailor Neptune?" One of the guards said, exchanging dubious looks with the others.

Crawford gritted his teeth. "I know, but we got to find Edwards and the others. Otherwise nothing is going to work out as planned."

"Alright, alright." A guard said with a pacifying tone. He gestured to a fellow guard. "We'll both go. These two can keep an eye on her. She's been chained up for pretty long time now, probably won't be able to do much."

That said, two of the guards walked to the door, exchanging warnings and banter with the other two guards. The two left were decidedly different; one was younger, tall and muscular, the other had salt and pepper hair, crinkled face, but still seemed to be in good shape.

The younger one turned toward his compatriot. "You think with everyone out looking, they'll probably find them. Where could Edwards have gone anyway?"

"I don't know." The elder man responded. "But something's not right. Edwards may be a bit of a druggie, but he wouldn't leave something as big as this."

The two men continued in conversation seemingly oblivious to Michiru. They kept their firearms pointed at her out of practice, but she had long since been complacent just in case an opportunity like this came up and they would let their guard down.

Haruka was here. And for that Michiru's heart soared. She had been scared more for Haruka over the past few days than for herself. She could only hope that her partner would do nothing stupid in an effort to get to her. Michiru herself was determined to help Haruka, she was not going to play damsel in distress. And now would be the time to make her move. Not only did she only have two guards, but everyone else apart of this rebel group was busy. She would just have to make sure to transform and incapacitate each one before they got a shot off at her.

She mentally called for her henshin pen into her right hand, still tied behind her back. It felt good to have the familiar weight in her hands, secure and confident. So far her guard had kept up with their conversation; she only prayed to Neptune that they stayed occupied for a few moments longer. She would have to act fast, once she transformed, and there was that slight doubt the she would not be able to get out of her bonds as Sailor Neptune.

She whispered the words under her breath, barely audible, only the slightest hiss of breath. "Neptune Planet Power...Make-up!"

* * *

Sailor Uranus leaned against the wall of the office complex, she held her right arm straight out to the side in a restraining gesture to Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn. She peered carefully down the intersecting hallway, judging distance to their next cover zone. There was an open door, some distance away, other closed doors, but not another hallway to the very end, nearly fifty meters. It would be risky, if anyone turned the corner, or came up from the other end of the hallway, they would raise a shout before they could get to them.

They had been lucky so far. This terrorist group had set up a base of sorts in a very stereotypical abandoned stark office building. The office building, unfortunately for Sailors Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn, was long rather than tall; it only had five stories, but spanned almost half a mile. They had entered through the side entrance that gave them some forest cover for approach unlike all the other entrances, which opened up to a sprawling parking lot. At the door, there had been two guards. They had been smoking, and slightly distracted. All it took was a whispered "Dead Scream" by Sailor Pluto that one of the guards took in the chest. While the other guard immediately dropped his cigarette and readied his gun, it was too late for him as Sailor Uranus came charging, fast as the wind, to cut him down with the Space Sword.

Then came the tricky part; they all believed what was said on the video, so they had to make sure their presence remained unknown for as long as possible. They had discussed it previously, and their solution was to send them to the Gates of Time. That way, any trace of their enemy disappeared. Setsuna assured them that even if they were conscious, the fact that they were simply human would prevent them doing anything except mindlessly amble around the Gates, and she could get them later. As soon as both were down, Sailor Pluto had created a portal, and they were gone; none had checked to see if either of the guards was still breathing.

From there, they had infiltrated the office complex. They even managed to find out the floor and general location of Michiru due to some quick questioning, and Sailor Saturn's glaive at one of the extremist's throats.

They were on the right floor, the second, now it was just the matter of making it to Michiru's holding location. Uranus was getting impatient. They had been in this complex for far too long, and had yet to get to Michiru. But she was single-minded in reaching her longtime partner. Sailor Uranus took a breath, and motioned to her companions. Pluto nodded and Saturn squared her shoulders in readiness. They would aim for the open door; it would be their best bet and they could take cover for a few minutes inside the unknown room.

Uranus ran, Pluto and Saturn following. It was a mad dash, the Senshi of the Winds, thoughts on Michiru, in the lead, focusing on the open doorway ahead. She heard the hiss of warning from either Pluto or Saturn, she was not sure which, but by then it was too late to react.

Half a dozen figures came around the corner, eyes widening at the sight of three Senshi, wielding weapons and running down their hallway. Someone yelled, firearms were hoisted and shot just as the Senshi called their respective powers.

"World Shaking!"

"Dead Scream."

"Silent Wall!"

Two of the extremists went down; the Senshi were protected from gunfire by Saturn's Silence Wall, and kept charging even as their opponents kept firing their weapons, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off the force field.

The Sailor Senshi were upon them even before they could release a second attack, instead they came at their opponents with sword, staff, and glaive.

Uranus immediately took out one, knocking the firearm upward and then connecting the Space Sword's hilt against the extremist's temple in a concussion-bringing attack. Pluto's staff made short work of another guard with a low sweep at the knees, knocking her opponent on their back, and then a well placed hit to head to render them unconscious. Finally Saturn, with her long glaive, took out the final two guards. The first falling to the ground, air escaping his lungs, as she jabbed the blunt end of the glaive into his stomach. Saturn gracefully twirled the glaive into an arch, rapping the staff of the glaive onto her second opponent's hands, causing them to drop the gun and let out a curse, even as he was dealt a blow to the head.

Pluto quickly formed a portal, and worked with Saturn at sending the downed extremists to the Gates of Time, while Uranus hoisted the man withering on the ground, still trying to breath after Saturn's attack, into the air by his shirt.

"Where is she?" She hissed in her slightly accented English, forcefully pushing him back against the wall.

The man choked and coughed in reply.

She pushed him back against the wall again. "Where is Michiru? Sailor Neptune? Kaioh Michiru? Come on you bastard, speak!"

He lifted his arm weakly, pointing to the left, down the interconnecting hallway. He spoke in a rasping voice. "…down hallway, take a right…office space…through there, another right…hallway, door just after…"

Uranus snarled, and abruptly brought the Space Sword against the back of his head, before tossing him through the portal.

She exchanged glances with Pluto and Saturn.

"Somebody will have heard that…" Pluto said softly.

"Let's get Michiru-mama." Saturn said determinedly, more Hotaru than Sailor Senshi.

Uranus nodded. "Let's."

* * *

"Sailor Senshi! Here! I heard their attacks! You know the orders...kill…" The man who had opened the door gaped at her, one hand still on the door handle. "Neptune?"

Sailor Neptune held the Deep Aqua Mirror in one hand, her attention previously on the image inside. The single furniture in the room, the chair she had been tied too, was knocked over. Her two guards both lay on the ground, unmarked, but both were motionless.

"Hello." Neptune demurred, tucking her Mirror away, and gathering power into her hands.

"Fuck."

"Deep Submerge!"

The attack sent him flying back into the far wall of the hallway before he collapsed to the ground. She regarded him briefly, and then walked to his limp body. Grabbing him under the arms, she pulled his heavier weight into the room to join his companions. She dropped him next to the fallen chair, and took a moment to regard all three. It had been a close call, but she had managed the most dangerous part of the escaping. As soon as she had turned into Sailor Neptune, while the guards where still blinking from the sudden intrusion of an aquatic light, she had formed a small, compressed attack into one hand. Then angling her bonded hand just so, she sent it shooting through her the rope holding her, which promptly tore apart. Her feet were still tied to the chair, but with her hands free it just took a little manipulating of her power. As soon as she felt her bonds break, she immediately turned her compressed small attack into a larger one, taking out the guard who was just leveling his gun at her. He went down without a word, but her heightened Senshi abilities heard the click of a trigger, and she threw herself backwards just in time. The bullet hit the far wall of the room harmlessly, and Neptune, resisting a groan from hitting the floor awkwardly with her ankles still bound to the chair, was able to quickly send another attack and the guard crumpled to the ground before another shot was fired.

Neptune took a few moments to breath, reflecting on the narrow escape. As Senshi, they were amazing resilient to attacks, but she doubted that even a Sailor Senshi could survive a bullet to the head. Before too much time passed, she had unbound her ankles and was alternatively stretching her sore muscles or rubbing her chafed wrists as she thought about her next course of action.

Haruka was here, Neptune knew it. The flutter of wind that had caressed her earlier was ample enough proof. She only now had to find her. There was an ache inside from their forced separation, and another one from being outside of reach of her Queen. Haruka was so close now…she could feel the wind beckoning her even through the walls. It was then that she procured the Deep Aqua Mirror, to get a better grasp of her situation before leaving her holding room, and it was then that she was interrupted with absolute proof of Haruka's presence.

It was a sudden cry that Sailor Neptune heard as she contemplated her next move. It was faint, but it was a definite "Space Sword Blaster."

And there were yells and gunfire. A "Silent Wall" and a "World Shaking" echoed in her mind as planetary forces called out to each other and beckoned their fellow Senshi to aid them in conflict. Neptune did not waist time, she sprinted out of the room, chasing the sounds of battle.

* * *

Sailor Uranus bit back a curse as they entered the doors into a large room, windows shaded and lights flickering to give it an eerie half-light. It was divided into cubicles by the common short free-standing walls, typical of any large office building. She could easily see over and around and immediately noticed the group of about twenty extremists, coming toward them at a trot. They opened fire as soon they saw the Sailor fuku.

Uranus dived out of the way, behind one of the cubicles, sensing Pluto and Saturn do the same. On the ground, she could feel their heavy footsteps coming closer. Exchanging glances with Pluto and Saturn, she stood, brandishing the Space Sword.

"Silent Wall!"

The bullets clattered to the tile floor, immediately forgotten.

"Dead Scream."

These extremists were better than the others; they had already scattered, and dodged behind other cubicle walls. Pluto's attack ripped through the flimsy walls, taking out one of their opponents, crouching behind the wall with it.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Uranus did not care for their lives at this point. Michiru needed her. She ignored the cry of pain that told her the attack connected, for she had already dodged behind another cubicle.

"Make sure not to take out all of our cover space!" Uranus shouted.

Pluto, from her cattycornered position, gave her a blank stare that told the Senshi of the Heavens that her companion already knew that. Such an exchange would normally have elicited a teasing remark from Michiru or Hotaru. But Michiru was notably absent, and Saturn was a little to busy to pay that much attention.

Again, Uranus readied herself, this time gathering her power in her hands before standing to release her attack. Her eyes immediately locked onto a man making his way closer to Saturn, his head just visible.

"World Shaking!"

He went down hard and fast and Uranus took a moment to feel a grim satisfaction as she dived back down again. She heard Pluto's whispered attack, and felt the air bristle with the otherworldly energy as it took out another enemy. Uranus quickly moved to another cubicle, knowing she needed to change her position before the enemy locked onto her. She rolled past an open space, and when she came to her feet in a crouching stance, her eyes widened in surprise as she came face to face with another extremist. He was fast, the gun fired, and Uranus dodged, but only enough so that it was not fatal. She held back a cry of pain as the bullet skimmed her shoulder, leaving a trail of blood. But she immediately reacted, thrusting the Space Sword into his chest, his own eyes widening as blood began to pool from his mouth.

"Silent Wall!" Saturn's yell echoed throughout the room as gunfire had temporarily stopped, followed by sickening sound of a blade meeting skin and a muted curse.

Uranus saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and reacted with Senshi abilities. The gunfire told her just how close it was as she threw herself around the corner of another cubicle. She kept moving, crouched behind the cubicle walls, knowing that her opponent would chase. She turned another corner, and came face to face to another extremist. Before he could fire, she grabbed his wrist and yanked him in front of her, holding him in a choke hold. The other man, immediately fired his gun as he turned the corner, effectively killing the man Uranus was holding and giving her a shield. The man cursed, but kept approaching.

The cries of Silent Wall had stopped, as had the hair-raising bristling power of Pluto's Dead Scream. But the gunfire kept up, and Uranus could still sense her companions, just now on the opposite side of the room. The whole situation was chaotic; it was hard to get a sense of anything in the halfway destroyed office space, and barely a minute had past since it had begun. Uranus figured they had taken out about half of their enemy, but that meant there were still half of the dangerous individuals left. Certainly, they did not compare to Sailor Galaxia, but fighting against humans with firearms was a whole different fight then fighting against youma or magic. And while, Uranus was sure their Senshi bodies could take a bullet or three, she did not relish the pain or one lucky hit to the temple or heart. Before her opponent could get any closer, she heaved her shield onto him. He stopped to deal with the sudden weight of his once alive compatriot, pushing it aside, only to find the Space Sword in him after turning his attention away for a second.

Before she could even feel the grim satisfaction, she heard the cock of a loaded gun behind her.

"Hey, bitch, don't move."

She raised her hands, bloody Space Sword still clutched in one hand, but even as she did so, she felt the rushing tide and roaring waves calling to her. Michiru.

"Deep Submerge!"

Uranus pivoted, and she turned around to find yet another extremist on the floor, and Sailor Neptune. Uranus felt her heart leap to her throat, and an indescribable sensation deep with inside that she had come to associate with her love. Neptune still looked elegant and beautiful, despite the dried blood caking the side of her face and her raw, chafed wrists and ankles. And when their eyes met, sea-blue to deep-green, Uranus could feel all the past few days of anxiety exit her in a rush, and all she wanted to do was collapse in her partner's arms. Instead she pulled Neptune inside the nearest un-destroyed cubicle, ducking down and crouching to the floor.

"How…what…" Uranus tried to ask, a gloved hand reaching out to cup Neptune's face.

"Later koi." The Senshi of the Seas interrupted with a smile and placed her own hand on the one tenderly resting against her cheek.

Suddenly a Dead Scream ripped through the cubicle walls right in front of them. It went right on through, and they heard a masculine scream that told them yet another one of their enemies was down.

"Kami-sama Pluto!" Uranus yelled.

Pluto appeared through the torn walls, looking down their way. "Gomen." Then Pluto noticed Neptune and a smile broke out on her face. "Neptune."

The aqua-haired warrior returned the smile, "Pluto."

Before anything else could be said, their Senshi senses picked up the heavy sound of multiple footsteps all converging to their location, indicating the presence of their remaining enemies. The three Senshi quickly gathered together, years of practice, teamwork, and friendship backing their front, and formed a triangle, backs to each other. Each gathered their power, the air cackling with the otherworldly energies ready to be released at a moments notice.

The first figure to appear was taken out by a World Shaking. It was a few more seconds before anyone else appeared, and it was all at once in all different locations, in an obviously quickly organized effort. They each got a glimpse of firearms leveled at them, but before any attacks could be issued, the final Sailor Senshi joined them.

"Silent Wall!" Saturn yelled out

Like it had done previously, the echo of gunshots yielded no results as the bullets fell to the ground harmlessly against the force field.

"Uranus, you should know better than to shout out like that and give away your position." Saturn chided with a smile to take out the bite as she held up the force field. "Sailor Neptune…Michiru-mama."

"Hime-chan." Neptune responded, taking in the bloody glaive. "Daijoubu?"

"Daijoubu."

The united front of the Sailor Senshi was too much for the remaining extremists, they stood no chance. The winds of earth stirred, the oceans roared, and the underworld called. Then the Sailor Senshi were the only ones standing. There was a pause as each of them remained wary, making sure the immediate threat was eliminated.

Uranus was the first to break it, grabbing Neptune, and pulling her into a fierce hug. She buried her face into the aqua hair, not minding the few days' buildup of sweat and the caked blood. It was still wholly Neptune and Michiru, smelling of the ocean.

"Michiru…I was so scared I wouldn't see you again." She said softly into the hair.

"Haruka." Neptune replied simply, voice thick with emotion, saying all it needed to.

Pluto and Saturn kept a respective distance at first, giving the two a chance to reunite in relative privacy. But both exchanged relieved smiles with each other, feeling at peace for the first time in a few days. Pluto wrapped an arm around Saturn, who leaned into the familiar embrace.

"How did you escape?" Uranus asked after a few seconds.

"You didn't expect me to sit there and play Damsel in Distress the whole time did you?" Michiru responded.

"Of course not!"

"It was because of you, I believe. Some of their people disappeared, and they lowered the guard on me to look for them. That was your doing wasn't it?"

"Hai. Pluto's idea; sent them to the Gates of Time, so they would completely disappear."

They finally separated from their embrace, but stayed close, in easy reach of one another.

"Serenity-sama?" Neptune questioned.

"Fine, but worried to death about you." Pluto answered coming up from behind with Saturn.

"Michiru-mama!" Saturn cried, throwing her arms about Neptune's waist. The Senshi of the Seas smiled and returned the embrace.

"Hotaru-chan."

Pluto also reached out, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder; the gesture and glance that they shared spoke enough for the both of them, but Neptune drew her into a hug as well.

"As much as I would love to join," Uranus interrupted, "we need to get out of here before anyone else shows up. It's a big complex and all, and they were spread out, but not enough so that they won't make it up here soon."

Pluto, in a more jovial manner than befitting their situation, responded. "I think you're just jealous."

Uranus smirked, but before she could reply, Pluto spoke again. "But you're right; we do need to leave."

"Let's make an exit." Neptune added, gesturing to the wall as Pluto and Saturn both broke away from the group hug. "We aren't that high up are we?"

"Second floor." Uranus responded.

"Make it fast, I hear footsteps." Saturn said hastily, gripping the shaft of her glaive tightly.

"World Shaking!"

The power of Uranus worked just as well on the cubicle walls as it did on actual walls. Following the attack Uranus held her hand out to Neptune. The Senshi of the Sea's took it and wordlessly, they jumped out of the office building together, followed shortly by Pluto and Saturn.

* * *

Serenity sat in the throne room attentively, husband by her side as they listened to a concern by a Crystal Tokyo civilian concerned about the rapid migration taking place to the new capital. The throne room was a magnificent space. Crystal columns framed a walkway that run from the door to the throne. Crystal, for many, has inspired a cold beauty in the past, but the throne room, and all of the Crystal Palace was welcoming, warm and beautiful enough to bring tears.

She appeased the civilian's fears of overpopulation and food consumption and he responded with praise and thanks. It was a weary duty, but she had made it her goal to listen and speak to as many of her future citizens as possible. There were many that were too in awe or too afraid to approach her. Future citizens…the Ginzoushin had called out to her more and more each night in her dreams and when awake, it was echoing in the back of her mind. It was ready to be put to use, to purify, to drive the Chaos in every man, woman, and child away that would accept the process. And those that would not…they would have no choice but to be exiled. But she had resisted, she wanted all of her Sailor Senshi present for when it began.

She had been overjoyed yesterday. Minako came rushing in with the news that Michiru was safe as were her rescuers. Serenity had forgotten herself nearly, squealing excitedly and grabbing Minako in a fierce hug. She had been saved from having to make one of the worst decisions of her life. Only Endymion, Luna, Artemis, and her Senshi could understand how difficult the past few days had been for her and how much it had weighed on her shoulders.

As the man was escorted out of the throne room by one of Minako and Haruka's volunteers, Makoto darted inside, a wide smile on her face that Serenity could sense even from their distance. She stood, Endymion followed, descended the steps that gave the slight height to the throne, and met Makoto halfway among the spiraling crystal columns.

"They have returned." Serenity said.

Makoto nodded in response.

Serenity brought a hand to her breast. "I can feel them."

"You had a strong connection to your Senshi before your ascension Serenity, but it seems to be growing." Endymion observed, offering Serenity his arm.

She took it, and reached out to Makoto to get her to join them. "I think you're right. We used to have to be so close for me to sense them. Where are they exactly Mako-chan?"

"They were going to the private quarters." Makoto answered, as they begin the journey through the halls of the Crystal Palace.

"My lounge right?"

"Yes. Haruka added that she was sorry that they could not come to you, but Michiru is apparently exhausted." Makoto replied.

"Nothing to apologize for, it is understandable. I hope Michiru is okay. I need to stretch my legs anyway. I've been sitting on that throne for far too long today."

They passed numerous people, going about all sorts of duties. There were maids, cooks, guards, and others with any number of jobs. It warmed Serenity to see her Palace so full of life, and normally she might stop to chat with one or two of them on her way somewhere. But now, she was too anxious to see her Outer Senshi and to see for herself that Michiru was okay. She set a quick pace, and it only took them a minute to reach the doors of her lounge. It was not really so much of her lounge anymore, it had become more of a private gathering place for the Sailor Senshi and the royal couple where they could sit and relax away from everything.

Endymion opened the doors to reveal a spacious comfortable living area. Overstuffed couches, thick rugs, and numerous flowers adorned the room. Large windows opened up to an equally large balcony with the perfect view of her city. Serenity had requested some of Michiru's artwork for the lounge, and they had just recently put up a few of her pieces. It was mostly her more personal work, memories of the Silver Millenium, visions of the future, and Serenity's favorite, an impressionistic portrait of each of them, completed right before the ice had invaded and the world had been frozen.

The artist herself was seated next to Haruka on one of the couches, an arm about her shoulders as she leaned against her blonde lover. She looked exhausted, but besides a healing bruise near her hairline and the red angry skin on her wrists, she looked fine. Serenity took in the sleeping Hotaru on another couch, which explained why the wounds were still there.

The reunion among her Sailor Senshi had already occurred, as the other Senshi were all gathered in the room talking animatedly. Michiru looked up from her conversation with Rei, and immediately stood when she saw Serenity, Endymion, and Makoto. Haruka stood up with her, a hand on her mate's waist. As Serenity came toward her Senshi of Neptune, the conversation in the rest of the room ceased and Hotaru was wakened with a touch on the arm from Setsuna.

Michiru met her halfway, kneeling to the floor once they were within an arm's length of each other, her eyes to the ground. "My Queen, I offer my deepest and most sincere apologies for compromising your rule; for allowing them to take me hostage, for the murder of my aides and escort, and for putting you in any difficult position. I let my guard down and allowed them to-"

She cut off as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and then reached down to take her hand. Serenity pulled the aqua-haired woman to her feet. "No Michiru. I apologize for ever putting you in that position and for putting you into danger."

"Serenity-sama, I was happy to serve you in such a way. You needed someone to spread the word and truth of your kingdom. I only ended up worrying and causing you unnecessary trouble."

Serenity smiled sadly. "Please Michiru, you've done and accomplished so much for me and Endymion." She paused, lifting Michiru's hand up to inspect her wrists. She frowned at the raw skin and closed her eyes, letting a trickle of the power of the Ginzuishou flow through her. Serenity opened her eyes and ran a finger over the now healed skin, also noting the complete absence of the bruise at her hairline.

"Thank you Serenity."

"It was nothing. Welcome back Michiru." Serenity said softly. She then spoke louder to include the rest in the room in the conversation. "You will not have to continue your role as ambassador such as it is Michiru. The time has come. Both I and the Ginzuishou are ready. Tomorrow, I will make a formal announcement to the citizens of Crystal Tokyo and then the world about their choice. To each of you, thank you for all you have done so far and for standing by me, despite difficulties." Everyone in the room had noticeable straightened at this announcement, eyes and ears attentive on their Queen. "We all know what will happen over the next few weeks and the war and conflict that will come. It grieves me to know that many of my citizens will die, but those that oppose us will be fierce. I know that death will come, and each of you may or may not have to issue it, but know that I trust and love each of you infinitely. I can only ask that you continue to stand by me like you have. And I can promise you that soon, we will have peace and we will prosper. Please, relax for the rest of the day and enjoy each other's company."

There were murmurs of thanks from her Senshi, each deeply moved by the short, impromptu announcement and speech. But Serenity could see the resolve now behind each of their stances, and their eyes spoke it all; they were ready if their queen was and they would follow her anywhere. Neo-Queen Serenity in part wanted to cry for the fierce loyalty and love she had gained from her Senshi. She felt Endymion move closer and a hand a hand placed at her waist. She smiled at the contact, but before turning to him, she looked back at Michiru, still standing by her.

"Go on, Michi-chan." Serenity smiled. "Ruka-chan's waiting."

Michiru gave her a look, eyes bright and twinkling in mirth, all formalities put aside. "Oh, koneko-chan?" She borrowed Haruka's old term of endearment for Usagi.

Serenity fought to keep the blush out of her cheeks. "You're bad-natured Michiru."

"Oi! That sounds too much like Sailor Star Fighter, Serenity." Haruka spoke up, coming up to Michiru and wrapping her arms about the Senshi of the Seas.

The previous tension in the room from Serenity's announcement vanished in the following giggles and immediately the conversation was going strong again.

With attention off of them, Haruka brushed her lips against Michiru's. "I'm so glad to have you back where you belong." The blonde spoke, smiling.

"Hai. It's nice to be with everyone again."

"I was talking about in my arms, preferably without clothes though."

"Ara? But what about Setsuna?" Michiru teased, bringing up the earlier joke.

Setsuna abruptly turned around, having heard her name from her position at the couch talking with Minako. She noticed her two companions, and after narrowing her eyes briefly at them, gave both of them a wink.

Haruka growled, and Michiru waved back to her friend, as her partner bodily picked up her up and carried her out of the lounge bridal style. Michiru brought her lips to Haruka's as soon as the door was closed, knowing that the hallway of the private quarters would be empty. Haruka sat her lover's feet on the ground as the kiss continued, no longer able to hold her and do the rest of the things that she wanted. The two fumbled their way down the hallway, pausing briefly and often to share a passionate kiss, before finally reaching their quarters.

Haruka had Michiru against the door, as the Senshi of the Seas abruptly opened the door and broke away from the kiss, darting inside and laughing all the while. She left a stunned Haruka in her wake.

"I thought you were exhausted!" She proclaimed from the doorway.

"I was!" Michiru called back. "It was our queen, when she healed me, it gave me energy too."

"Well, I guess that's something else I'll have to thank her for when we see her again."

"Which will be later…much later." Michiru responded coyly.

Haruka grinned and shut the door.

**-Fin-**

A/N: Wow…over 11,000 words for this oneshot. It took me forever and a day, but I finally finished. Thank you for reading!


	8. Timeless Dance

A/N: Please read the information below, it's relatively important.

Solsei – The day of Solsei, or the celebration thereof, I just made up, because I did not want to mess with dates for birthdays or anniversaries. So I came up with the name Solsei, combining Latin and Japanese. "Sol" from Latin meaning sun and "Sei" from Japanese meaning star. The name actually has nothing to do with its purpose, but I like the sound of it.

The Princess Gowns – These come from directly from the manga drawn, of course, by Naoko Takeuchi. I always did like Neptune's dress the best.

Sedna – a trans-Neptunian object, with a highly elliptical orbit. Found past the Kuiper Belt, considered part of the Oort Cloud, a cloud made of comets, at the edges of the Solar System. Found in 2003, possibly a dwarf planet.

I decided to use the Japanese names in the Silver Millennium because it sounds better considering when this is based. I kept Earth as Earth or Terra Firma as I think I call it once, to establish its difference. Suisei – Mercury; Kinsei – Venus; Kasei – Mars; Mokusei – Jupiter; Dosei - Saturn; Ten'ousei – Uranus; Kaiousei – Neptune; Meiousei- Pluto (poor Pluto, no longer a planet…)

Rigel – A star in the constellation of Orion. Thus Rigel System refers to its solar system. Its one of the brighter stars in the sky, and I know it can be seen in North America at least.

I don't own Sailor Moon.

This one-shot is dedicated to Daken for all the wonderful support I've received.

**Timeless Dance**

By Yavapai

-The Silver Millennium-

The decorations were lavish and tasteful, truly befitting the grand ballroom of the Silver Palace, especially considering the gravity of the celebration. Hundreds of the Moon Kingdom's most honored were present. From the numerous, festive guests of Kinsei to the lone representative from the distant Meiousei, the crowd was diverse and pleased to be at the Celebration of Solsei or the centennial occurrence of favorable planetary alignment that was the most important day in the Silver Millennium.

Queen Serenity I of the Moon Kingdom, appearing regal and exquisitely beautiful in a light silvery, white gown that complimented the shimmer of her thick locks, sat upon her raised dais in a simple chair. She was content to observe with a small smile and graciously converse with those who approached her at this point having already made her rounds in the ballroom. Luna and Artemis sat upright near her seat, tails twitching to the music. Both refused to relax, which Serenity had already teased them about. The music was excellent; a group composed from various planets provided a wide array of dances and tempos to the pleasure of those present. Briefly, she allowed herself to focus just on the joyful sounds being emitted from the musicians seated on a platform in the corner of the ballroom, not all that far from her own dais. They wove a complicated dance, each musician beyond talented and approaching genius. Only once could Serenity remember hearing better…

She was startled out of her thoughts by a small ruckus as Princess Mars and Princess Venus, both stunning in their traditional princess gowns of their respective planets in crimson red and golden yellow, tried to dance with a handsome young man near her dais, by his look and dress, most likely a young lord from Mokusei. To confirm her suspicions, he shot a desperate and familiar look towards Princess Jupiter. The Princess visibly sighed, an expression that did not mar her beauty of the evening in her forest green gown, before sweeping in and immediately stealing him from her two feuding friends. She left them, chatting amiably with the young lord as he lead her in a complicated dance. The Queen let her eyes fall upon her daughter, laughing and chatting with the Princess Mercury who had put aside her books for the evening in exchange for her dress of the distinct blue of Suisei. She smiled as her daughter, beautiful in her own silver gown, was able to put aside her longing for her dark-haired suitor from Terra Firma and enjoy the evening with her friends. Serenity had no objections to Endymion, but it was nice to see her daughter able to enjoy herself, especially on such a grand and rare occasion as Solsei.

Some time past; Queen Serenity talked with a fair number of guests and observed a fair number more. It was nice to talk of meaningless things with the royals from the other planets, as the next day would they would hold a council. Each of the inner planets sent a full court and their currently reigning monarchs, and even though the Princesses saw their families fairly often due to diplomatic purposes, the reunions were always something to put a smile on the Queen's face. She certainly understood the value of family. From the outer planets, the representatives ranged. None of the monarchs or any of the immediate royalty were present for there was a certain unrest in the each of the outer planets due to the recent political unrest in the colonial settlement of Sedna. But she had been surprised at the full court sent from Ten'ousei with their ambassador, which was in great comparison to the lone lord from Meiousei. Dosei and Kaiousei each sent various numbers with their own ambassadors. And for her, it was truly a pleasure to see all of her peoples gathered in the Silver Palace; though she wished the kings and queens of the outer planets could be present.

She was chatting with the King of Kasei when it happened. A presence…no…not just one, but two…that she had not felt for a significant period of time. Queen Serenity ended her conversation with the King of Kasei rather quickly, and the man walked away looking slightly abashed; she would have to apologize to him later. Her eyes fell upon her daughter and her companions; they each had stopped in their tracks as well and gathered back together from their various points on the ballroom floor. She saw them conversing deeply and their eyes dart around in search of something. The Queen was pleased to see that the Senshi bond carried through.

The two presences suddenly flared. One was the feeling near to that of a howling wind contradicted with that of a gentle summer breeze; and for the other, it was the endless majestic stretch of sea with all of its hidden power and mysteries. Serenity locked onto the location in time to see two figures step into the ballroom through a side entrance unnoticed except by her and the Princess Serenity and her companions. The Queen did not think they would come; both rarely made public appearances on the Moon Kingdom, and they had declined such invitations in the past to uphold their duty. She had talked with Princess Pluto about attending as well, but the Guardian of Time had been uncomfortable about leaving the Gates, claiming some unusual disruptions from within. While the Senshi of Pluto was seen more often in the Moon Kingdom due to the nature of her work, these two were distant, but their effect was felt and known. In such a way, they were mythical compared to the other Senshi, even among their home planets as their respective castles were independent from the rest of their planets. But here they were, and it had been a significant amount of time since they had both been in the Silver Palace.

Princess Uranus stood tall and handsome, not clad in her traditional gown of deep blue, but in a tailored navy suit with gold trimmings. She was just as Serenity remembered her with the whitish blonde hair sweeping into green eyes. The legendary Space Sword hung loosely at her right side in a decorative, yet in an obviously defensive manner. On her arm was the Princess Neptune dressed in her gown of aquamarine suited to the planet of the seas. If possible, she had grown even lovelier since the last time Serenity had seen her. Aquamarine curls trailed down her back and framed a face of exquisite beauty with two deep pools of matching aquamarine eyes. Her Deep Aqua Mirror was nowhere to be seen, but Serenity did not doubt it was not far from her reach in some manner.

It was then that the Princess Serenity and her companions appeared on her dais as the two navigated their way along the edge of the crowd, expertly avoiding attention.

"Mother, is that who we think it is?" The Princess asked after each finished a curtsy.

"Yes." The Queen responded with a smile.

The princesses exchanged whispered words of wonder with each other.

"Is it true; are they really that much more powerful then us?" Venus questioned, channeling her lead position among the Senshi

"The simple answer is yes, and they have to be because of their duties."

"Does Uranus really run as fast as the wind and as strong as reports make her out to be?" This question came from Jupiter, already looking for a potential sparring partner.

"Faster even, if you can imagine. And as for strength…well, she is very strong, especially so in Senshi form."

"And Neptune, her precognitive ability and connection with the seas and oceans of all worlds?" Mercury asked, sounding extremely curious.

"Yes, and she can channel her precognitive ability through her Deep Aqua Mirror."

The questions subsided, and the Queen took the moment to look at the five gathered before her fondly, but with a bemused expression. "Really girls, you've been briefed over the power of each Senshi, including Uranus and Neptune."

"But this will be the first time we will actually meet them! We know them as Senshi, but not as people! We've met and seen Pluto quite a few times, but never these two…and never…" Princess Serenity trailed off.

"Saturn. And it is my hope you will never see Saturn in this lifetime."

There was a brief mellow silence as Queen Serenity studied the young women before her. "But here is your chance to meet these two." She said with a smile.

"Are they really as close as…" Mars's question tumbled out, but ended abruptly.

Serenity's smile widened, extremely amused. "You'll have your chance to find out."

The princesses turned around to find Uranus and Neptune nearly upon the dais. They each moved into their appropriate position, the Princess Serenity standing to the Queen's right and flanking the Princess' right was first Mars, then Mercury. Venus took the position to the Queen's left, followed by Jupiter.

They watched as Uranus and Neptune climbed the few stairs of the dais, movements natural and graceful. Queen Serenity could see Uranus's eyes focus on each of the princesses around her as she climbed the stairs, recognizing the Senshi power and presence with a blank face. Neptune, in contrast, wore a mysterious half-smile, focus only deviating from her Queen and the Princess Serenity at her side to the other princesses. The Queen turned her attention briefly to her daughter and the Inner Senshi. She watched their faces take in Uranus' handsome and attractive form that still openly displayed a feminine bearing and energy, and then as they watched with slightly envious, yet still accepting eyes at Neptune and her ethereal beauty and graceful movements that belied her true power.

Once they reached the platform of the dais, Neptune curtsied deeply as Uranus mimicked her actions with a deep bow. Queen Serenity acknowledged them with the respect of a bowed head as her daughter gave a light curtsy of her own along with the other princesses.

"My friends…it has been too long." The Queen spoke, happiness evident.

"Likewise Your Majesty." Uranus' alto voice carried her confidence and prowess.

"I admit, I am surprised you decided to come, but nevertheless, pleased."

Neptune laughed; a pleasant, musical sound that seemed to carry the waves of the ocean. "We were not going to, but Pluto strongly recommended us to come, more so then usual in fact. We just finished studying a possible threat from Rigel system, but it turned out to be nothing more then a lost Starfleet."

"And Neptune found nothing on her Deep Aqua Mirror posing an immediate threat. So between this, Pluto's rather curious urgings, and your own invitation, we decided to make an appearance." Uranus finished, her face lightening into an attractive grin.

Serenity found herself mirroring the expression with a smile of her own. "Well, I am indeed very glad that you came. This-" She motioned to her daughter. "-is my daughter, the Princess Serenity."

The Princess stepped forward, and curtsied again. Neptune returned the gestured with slightly more depth as appropriate. Uranus, however, approached the Princess, took her hand delicately between her own. She bowed over it and placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

Only Queen Serenity caught Neptune's amused and slightly exasperated expression, and hid her smile as her daughter's face flamed red.

"And these," Queen Serenity began as Uranus backed up to her place alongside Neptune, "are my daughter's guardians and companions."

"And most importantly, friends." Serenity said, regaining her composer.

The Moon Queen nodded and gestured to each princess in turn as they each stepped forward to give their own curtsy, "Princess Venus of Kinsei, Princess Mars of Kasei, Princess Mercury of Suisei, and Princess Jupiter of Mokusei."

Uranus remained by Neptune as they responded with nodded heads to indicate respect, but it was as if each princess received some sort of silent communication from the handsome blonde that caused their faces to turn various shades of red.

"Also, I believe you have previously met my advisors and friends from the planet Mau, Luna and Artemis." Serenity gestured toward the two cats, sitting at her feet who exchanged familiar nods with the two Outer Senshi.

Once these introductions finished, Queen Serenity let her gaze fall upon the two Senshi standing before her. Looking past them, she could see that little attention was upon her dais and the two arrivals as the musicians had struck up a frenzied piece that involved an interlocking and complicated dance with multiple partners. She again turned towards the two Outer Senshi. "Princess Uranus of Ten'ousei"

Uranus once again bowed to the Princess Serenity and her companions. "It is an honor to meet you all."

"And Princess Neptune of Kaiousei."

Neptune did a final curtsy to finish the proper greetings. "It is a pleasure to finally see you all in person."

A curious look overcame Mercury. "What do you mean 'finally'?"

"Oh yes." Neptune closed her eyes briefly and a sudden aqua light appeared in her right hand taking form of a mirror. "The Deep Aqua Mirror."

Mercury's expression changed from confusion to excitement at those words. "It is just like I have read! The Mirror allows the Senshi of Neptune to focus her precognitive ability to better see future events and possible threats, and to also look in on the happenings around the Moon Kingdom!"

Neptune laughed again, pleased, and the mirror vanished from her hand. "Just what I expected from you Princess Mercury."

"You mean you have been watching us?" Venus questioned, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Just to check in on your progress." But there were some words left unsaid, a slight longing in Neptune's voice, also evident by Uranus placing her hand comfortingly on her partner's shoulder. The Moon Queen caught it, and by the shifting of her feet, so did her daughter.

The Princess Serenity walked forward to take Neptune's hands in her own; silvery eyes met aquamarine and shared unspoken comfort. "Thank you." The Princess said softly and reached out with one hand to take Uranus'. "Both of you for all that you've done, and the sacrifices you have made."

The Moon Queen could not be prouder of her daughter in that moment, for recognizing the hidden pain and loneliness that came with the Outer Senshi's positions. She watched Uranus and Neptune exchange meaningful smiles with each other and with the Princess.

"Princess Neptune?" The Queen interrupted.

"Yes Your Majesty?"

"Earlier this evening, before your arrival, I was listening to the musicians, and as you probably noticed they are very good. But I can only remember one time where I heard significantly better…your impromptu concert that you gave me at the urging of Princess Uranus, to soothe my worries last time I saw you."

"That is high praise indeed Your Majesty. I'm afraid I might be a bit unworthy of it." Neptune responded humbly with a bowed head.

"Nonsense. I know what I heard; surprisingly I do have ears and I'm not entirely tone deaf." Queen Serenity said with a slight smile.

"Please don't listen to her, Your Majesty. She's forever trying to reach perfection without knowing she already has it." Uranus words held multiple-meanings, and the Queen briefly wondered if the other princesses had caught it.

"I see." Serenity said, raising her eyebrows. "Now, Neptune, in a few minutes it shall be time for the musicians to take a break. If during that time, you could fill the void perhaps?"

Neptune exchanged looks with Uranus. "I can. Assuming they will allow me to borrow an instrument, preferably the violin."

"I am sure that can be arranged." Queen Serenity smiled, and as if on cue the music notes ended in a sudden crescendo. The guests all clapped enthusiastically for the musicians' skill and efforts. The murmur of the crowd increased as many dispersed throughout the ballroom as they thought the dancing was done to sample various foods and drinks that were set out along the peripherally or held by uniformed servants.

"Luna, Artemis, could you escort Princess Neptune to the musicians' platform and tell them of my request?" Serenity posed.

"Of course Your Majesty." Luna answered, as her and Artemis stretched before bounding over to Neptune's feet. "Follow us Princess Neptune."

Uranus moved to the side of the dais, so as not to be in the immediate public eye, and watched her partner leave with a fond expression upon her face; something akin to affection, pride, and what Queen Serenity recognized as unconditional love. But the Uranian Princess did not get but a few moments to herself before she was set upon by the other princesses.

"Is that really the Space Sword?"

"How many lunar years do you have?"

"Are you and Neptune together?"

"Will you dance with me?"

Uranus did nothing but grin roguishly at the questions. She crossed her arms coolly and responded. "How about we wait and listen to Neptune? Trust me; it's nothing like you've ever heard from a solitary violin player."

The princesses' attention was diverted as the Moon Queen suddenly stood, arms raised into the air. Such a simple movement caught all the crowd gathered in the ballroom.

"Cheers to the Day of Solsei!" The Queen spoke. Her voice was not loud, but its melodious tone washed over the crowd so that all heard.

The people gathered answered in a single voice that echoed throughout the ballroom. "To Solsei!"

This was followed by much cheering until the Queen raised her arms again. "It warms my heart and soul to see all of you, whether if you're home resides in this palace or in the far reaches of the Moon Kingdom. Not only is tonight special, in that we are here to celebrate Solsei." Again there was a smattering of cheers and apologize and Serenity waited for it to die down. "But it is also our honor to have included among our presence the Princess Uranus and the Princess Neptune."

This announcement sent the crowd into frenzied whispers. The mythical Outer Senshi, here? Their acts were heard of and praised, but they were rarely seen. Even those from Ten'ousei and Kaiousei were caught up in the surprise, for it was rare for them to even see their princesses and senshi. There were some gestures toward the dais and Princess Uranus's presence once they pinpointed her location.

Queen Serenity interrupted the excitement. "While our orchestral musicians take rest, the Princess Neptune has agreed to give an exclusive performance."

The attention of the crowd turned toward the musicians' platform where surprised eyes took in the form of Princess Neptune, standing ready with a violin. Neptune did not wait for them to think, with a simple curtsy, she placed the violin beneath her chin, played a few tuning chords, and then launched into a melody.

Neptune held the crowd-turned-audience captive. She seemed entirely unaware of it though; her eyes either closed or at few specific moments focused on the dais, on Uranus or her Queen or her Princess. She wove a complicated melody, the sound produced would be impossible to emulate. It was as if there at least two…three violins playing, and not just one. The song spoke of many things; loneliness and despair that was held at bay by hope, love, and a continuous vision of the future. But in the midst of this tale, there was another; a story of the ocean, of waves crashing, and of the tide rising and falling. Everyone found a meaning in the song and the ballroom was utterly still besides the rising of emotion that filled the soul.

Still she played, and it was as if time had stood still. Then there was a crescendo and everyone felt the climax. Instead of ceasing her play to accept what surely would have been a deafening applause, Neptune played an ending chord, and then launched directly into another melody. The audience took their cue here just as Neptune surely meant them to, and dancing began again.

Uranus smiled contently from her position at the dais. "A dance with each of you then, and perhaps two for you Princess Serenity."

A fair number of lunar minutes passed by, still Neptune continued to play casting a new magic upon them with each note. Queen Serenity watched her, and could tell the joy the Senshi was taking in this one time occasion, of being able to share her music with others They both knew this performance would not ever be repeated in this lifetime. Uranus did as she promised and danced with each of the inner planet princesses once and the Princess Serenity twice. She seemed to enjoy herself, flirting harmlessly with each one of the princesses. And she was a commanding presence on the dance floor, tall and striking; she drew eyes of all types. At the same time, the Queen could not help but notice the connection between her Outer Senshi. The energy between them was almost tangible, and Serenity could not be happier for the two, especially due to the lonely nature of their duty. Still, she knew that more often then not they had to endure separation from each other. Despite what many of those from Earth proclaimed, she was not an unfeeling monarch; she knew what they endured as well as others, and it hurt her. She wished there were simple answers, to eradicate the loneliness and separation, but in this lifetime, there were no simple answers, there were no answers period.

When Neptune drew the bow across the strings for the last lingering note, everyone gathered in the ballroom immediately stopped and cheered. Each person had been enthralled in the music, and none could ever remember being touched in such a way by a solitary performer. There was a certain twinge of mystery added by the fact that the mythical Senshi of Neptune was the artist behind the encompassing music.

Queen Serenity found herself, and any others that had been sitting, standing to applaud along with those on the floor as they watch Neptune open her eyes and bring the violin down to rest carefully in her hands. She curtsied once, deeply and gracefully and Serenity watched her facial expression. There was no flush of excitement on her cheeks, or that of nervousness. There was no wide grin or sudden sign of stage fright. Rather, Princess Neptune seemed even more beautiful, if such a thing were possible, with a small, content smile and aquamarine eyes shining bright with unshed tears.

The Queen was not sure exactly how, but as Neptune stepped down from the musicians' platform, there was Uranus waiting for her. She observed carefully as Uranus enveloped Neptune into a hug and then as the two disappeared amidst the sudden relative chaos as many of the guests attempted to make their way to speak to either of the two Outer Senshi and as the musicians from earlier climbed the few steps of the platform and take up their instruments again.

"Mother! When-Did-How can one instrument do just that?" Princess Serenity asked excitedly, eyes wide and wondering as she quickly climbed the steps of the dais with her companions.

"I think it may have had more to do with the artist." Mercury interposed just as the Queen opened her mouth to answer. Mercury flushed bright red, and bowed her head in apology.

Queen Serenity laughed lightly. "I have only heard Neptune play once before. But it was as memorable as this performance tonight. I regret that I cannot hear such skill more often. It is truly such an art and talent of hers that it is beyond the rest of us to comprehend how such music can be emitted and have the effect that it does.

"Where did they go? They kind of disappeared…" Jupiter asked, her expression bemused and curious.

"They will be back. Give them this brief bit of peace. From what I know of Princess Uranus, she will not let Princess Neptune leave with out at least one dance." Queen Serenity answered.

At this moment, Luna and Artemis both reappeared on the dais, small cat forms bounding up the stairs. "Princesses Neptune and Uranus have taken temporary refugee on the Earthrise Terrace." Artemis announced, sitting down and licking his paws.

The music began again, a simple waltz that, at first, seemed almost jarring compared to what was previously heard. But soon enough couples were out among the dance floor and the Princess Serenity and the Inner Senshi were soon among them with various partners.

The Queen noticed immediately once Uranus and Neptune stepped back into the grand ballroom, it was that same feeling as when they first entered the ballroom, the connection between the Senshi with each other and the royal family. The Moon Queen knew that her daughter and companions had to have noticed as well.

For all their elegance and beauty, both knew how to maneuver without being easily noticed, and it was not long before they were upon the dais again. Both gave their deep respects to her and then to Luna and Artemis. As soon as this honored task had been completed, Neptune came forward and knelt by the Queen's side, disregarding her dress and position as Senshi and Princess. Serenity glanced quickly at Uranus, to note that even she looked surprised.

"Thank you…thank you, Your Majesty. Giving me the chance to share my music like this…I never thought I would have this opportunity. I am not even sure how to express my gratitude…just thank you." Neptune said, voice full of emotion.

"Neptune…" Uranus trailed.

"Princess Neptune, perhaps I should be thanking you for the performance. But it was more than a performance..." Serenity answered, leaning forward in her seat, and lifting Neptune's chin with a single finger. "Indescribable really…I am sure they will be talking about it for years to come…"

The Moon Queen stood at the end of this statement. She took Neptune's hand, the princess instinctually going to her feet at this touch. Uranus came to stand beside her, an arm placed protectively and comfortingly about Neptune's waist.

"Now go. Enjoy the evening. That is my command as your queen."

Both Uranus and Neptune looked as if they wanted to say something more, but Serenity waved them away with a smile. "Why do you linger? Go. Dance."

The unspoken "We all know that you will not get another chance like this" was evident, but ignored by both parties. Neptune took Uranus's hand then, and took charge leading her partner to the dance floor. Uranus looked back the Queen, and her gracefulness was nearly ruined when she almost tripped over her own feet after catching Queen Serenity's wink.

Queen Serenity watched as they carved a path through the dance floor, chuckling to herself when she read Uranus's lips say to her partner, "The Queen just winked at me!" in what was probably a slightly amazed voice. In response, Neptune turned and wrapped her arms around the taller Senshi's neck, bringing them close. She leaned up, lips near Uranus's ear, and Serenity could not be sure of what was said, but Uranus's reaction told the story.

Neptune laughed as Uranus's arms circled her waist, bringing them even closer, but the laugh ceased as the blonde brought her lover in for a brief kiss. The Queen was torn between hoping her daughter was watching, to see proper behavior between lovers for the sake of her still slightly awkward relationship with Endymion, and praying that she was not witnessing this sensual seduction that both were taking part in. The kiss did not last long, after all, they were out among the dance floor and they would garner enough attention as it was.

The dance continued; a sort of timelessness placed on the evening. And no matter what, Serenity's attention kept returning to her Outer Senshi. They drew all eyes in fact; it was likened to the first dance of the Princess Serenity and Endymion. They complimented each other perfectly and their previous elegance and beauty seemed even more pronounced in their dance. The music seamlessly changed from a simple foxtrot to a more aggressive style, one reserved generally for only talented dancers. While the previous dances had mostly been from Earth, a few stormy ones from Mokusei, a sampling of the fluid style from Kaiousei, and a couple of dramatic fire dances from Kasei, this was the first one the musicians played from Kinsei. It was enthralling and captivating, dynamic and fierce, and ultimately seductive, and always a pleasure to watch if done correctly.

Immediately, the majority of couples, even those from Kinsei, cleared away, leaving a large space on the floor. Princess Venus had quickly partnered with a young man from her home planet, and both were clearly smiling in anticipation staying in tune with the beginning, easy steps of the song. Princess Serenity and the rest of the princesses had gathered along the side to watch. Queen Serenity had not quite forbid her daughter to learn this dance, but she had discouraged it because the princess's relatively young age as this dance was usually reserved mature couples or those from Kinsei.

Uranus and Neptune remained on the floor. Nobody thought to question how they could have learned this dance considering their duty; all were too entranced with the complicated and smooth movements. Even amidst the other elegant dancers, Neptune and Uranus continued to standout. This dance was a dance for lovers, and it seemed to be made for them.

Queen Serenity's thoughts wondered as she observed. Was it their status as a Princess of an outer planet and their identity, power, and mythical status as Sailor Senshi Uranus and Sailor Senshi Neptune? Was it that they were so obviously in love with each and that their love was so deep and vast, beyond what most could understand? Was it their simple physical appearance, both unusually beautiful?

But of course it was a combination of all these things. The dance from Kinsei ended, flowing back into waltz, amid much cheers for the dancers on the floor. Even as couples and partners gathered back into the floor, still eyes were upon the two. They were in their own world now, lost in the music and rhythm and each other. When the Celebration of Solsei ended and the final song had been played, Queen Serenity stood to give her final words for the evening and they made their exit. Unnoticed, they went by most of the crowd now held captive to their Queen's words and presence. All except for five young women, out of the ordinary themselves, who stood waiting at the door for their fellow Senshi. The Moon Queen watched as she gave her speech. There was a moment of utter stillness between all the Senshi and Princess Serenity, and then as one, the Inner Senshi and the Princess curtsied to their counterparts who returned the gesture. No words were spoken as far as the Queen could see, and it seemed appropriate, for they would have taken away from moment. Princess Neptune kissed each of her fellow princesses on the cheek, while Uranus bowed over and kissed their hands. The last one they regarded was Princess Serenity, a moment of hesitation, and then her daughter pulled both into a hug, disregarding social position.

There was a last glance toward her direction, and the Queen gave an almost unnoticeable nod in the middle of her speech, and Uranus and Neptune were gone, hand in hand.

-Cyrstal Tokyo-

Neo-Queen Serenity blinked rapidly, reorienting herself with reality after a sudden onslaught of memory. She felt Endymion's presence by her side, a hand placed on her shoulder in support.

"Serenity? Daijoubu?" Endymion asked.

"Daijoubu…I just suddenly recalled a memory from long past…a pleasant memory." Serenity replied.

"Serenity, did you get it to?"

It was Rei that spoke, or Lady Mars as she was starting to be known. The other Inner Senshi were there as well, all dressed in their classic finery of their traditional princess gowns from the Silver Millennium as it seemed appropriate for this occasion. Minako had been the one to remark that they were lucky that their dresses were of such timeless style to still be fashionable for Crystal Tokyo.

"Hai, I did." Serenity smiled, taking the moment to look at her friends gathered before her; peaceful and content, they had finally achieved their ultimate goal, what they had been striving for since first waking as Senshi. Endymion just looked confused, but then deciding it was not a pressing matter backed out of the conversation. Instead, he kissed his wife's cheek and made his way on to the ballroom floor to socialize.

The Grand Ballroom of the Crystal Palace had been used for smaller events so far in the short reign of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. But this was the first time that such a celebration of this magnificence and magnitude had been thrown. The ballroom was decorated simply, but it did not need much to add to its elegance. Eight banners hung from the ceiling, each one with a planetary symbol and color. Against the far wall, above the dais where Serenity's and Endymion's seating lie, hung a banner representing Earth and Crystal Tokyo that commanded attention. The guests, important diplomats and pioneers in the new kingdom under Neo-Queen Serenity, were all dressed in various finery, expensive gowns and rich tuxedos. But none could compare to the beauty and appearance of Serenity and her Senshi. The atmosphere and ambience provided by the guests and decorations were festive, the music even more so. Serenity had let Michiru pick the musicians, a task that the Senshi of Neptune had been more then happy to complete and she had done her job well as the Queen knew she would.

And there were the instigators of the memory, a dancing Michiru and Haruka, both equally as glamorous and alluring as their Silver Millennium selves. Haruka was still in the navy blue uniform that attracted both male and female stares, and Michiru, admired and envied, in her aquamarine gown. Both still caught the eye and attention of those in the room just like their past selves.

"I take it, you finally got it." Setsuna said, appearing on the dais as well with a teenaged Hotaru, both also in their traditional dresses.

"Always an enigma Setsuna?" Ami said lightly.

Setsuna smiled, "I admit…I can't help myself. But the memory, of the one time you met them in the Silver Millenium."

"Hai. Why didn't we remember this before now?" Serenity asked.

"There were many reasons, most that I cannot divulge to even you, my queen. Just know that if you knew of their existence before Hotaru's, it would have disastrous." Setsuna answered solemnly.

Serenity nodded as did the other Senshi, accepting the answer. "Hotaru, did you also receive this vision of the past?" Ami asked curiously.

"Hai, I'm a little surprised, but I did as well." Hotaru responded, and then laughed lightly. "My parents, always the rockstars."

"They really did leave that much of an impression on everyone." Minako said with a twinge of humor that showed how much she had matured.

"More so, really; granted, I only heard about it. But you know what their duties were then, and what they will be soon." Setsuna answered.

"They will not be placed in that duty alone!" Serenity said sharply.

"I know, my queen." Setsuna responded soothingly. "But, back then, they rarely were able to travel to the Silver Palace, and when they came, the only person who ever saw them was Queen Serenity or myself, if I happened to be present at the time. Their own peoples rarely saw them too, and more often then not, they were separated from each other as well. But everyone knew of them, and their deeds, and as such, they did develop a kind of mythical status. The fact that Neptune could play the violin as well as in the Silver Millennium as now and that Uranus could charm and flirt her way into anyone's good graces did not help matters. They had everyone in the Moon Kingdom talking for months after that appearance, their only appearance."

"I'm glad they will not be subjected to such stifling duties again." Makoto said. Everyone gave her a strange look. "What?"

"Subjected to such stifling duties?" Minako repeated giggling. "You sound like Ami-chan!"

Makoto rolled her eyes. "I, unlike some others here," She said with a pointed look toward Minako, "have actually learned from being around Ami-chan all these years. Besides, as I was saying, I need Haruka around to spar with."

"Now that sounds more like our Mako-chan." Ami added hiding a smile behind her hand.

"And I'm glad that Hotaru-chan can be here now as well." Serenity said with a smile to the young woman interrupting what may have developed into a playful shouting match between the Inner Senshi. Needless to say, this was not quite the time or place for such antics.

Hotaru smiled. "I'm glad to be here too. Just as I'm sure Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama are."

At this, the Queen and her Senshi all looked over to the couple. A peaceful moment passed, where each watched their companions dance blissfully in the night. A twirl, a step over and back, gracefully and fluidly they moved. The magic and timelessness of it was similar to that night, ages ago on the day of Solsei. Haruka took Michiru's slight weight in her arms as the Senshi of Neptune arched backwards, feeling the dramatic rise in music. Instead, of pulling her back up though, Haruka shifted to plant her feet on the ground, and leaned in to kiss Michiru soundly.

"Yes, they are." Serenity said, her voice light and full of mirth. She stood from her seat, and made her way to the edge of the dais. "I'm going to find Endymion for some dances. And then maybe I will ask Neptune to play a few songs on her violin."

**-Fin-**

A/N: So I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. The next one is going to be Christmas themed…and I'm really quite excited about it. It'll be light-hearted and fluffy and relatively funny and all those good things.


	9. The Dangers of Mistletoe

A/N: Whew, got this up just in time. Merry Christmas everyone!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

**The Dangers of Mistletoe**

By Yavapai

Haruka, a glass of chardonnay in hand and humming to the American Christmas music playing from their speakers, was enjoying flitting about her living room floor oozing charm from one girl to the next. It did not help matters that she knew each one and exactly what to say to illicit a blush, a giggle, or returned flirting. This was play for Haruka and she reveled in it. Still though, nothing compared to the deep and constant stirrings inside of her that she accompanied with Michiru. And she loved her aqua-haired goddess, more than she could comprehend at times. But this was Christmas Eve, and it was their game to play. Haruka knew Michiru would get back at her; it was only a matter of time and her lover would not let her actions tonight go unpunished.

Haruka could only hope it would be _that_ kind of punishment.

But for now, she had her fun, while she knew Michiru watched and planned. Haruka took another sip of her chardonnay, a nice import that she splurged on from Australia. Setsuna was technically the only one old enough to purchase and drink alcohol, and Haruka was counting down the days until she turned 20 in roughly a month just so she could order drinks casually. Plus, being able to hold a martini or glass of wine was much sexier than a diet coke as she always told Michiru who did not quite understand Haruka's obsession with it. But then again, Michiru had grown up drinking wine at aristocratic social events she was forced to go to by her so called parents. The romance or sex of it was lost on her, or so Haruka liked to tease when they got into one of these debates.

The issue of alcohol at their Christmas Party had ended up not even being a debate for the elder Outer Senshi. Setsuna had even said that if they counted their past lives, they would all be old enough for a little alcohol anyway. So with a bit of monitoring going on, mostly to avoid another drunken Usagi incident, no matter how hilarious, and the sheer terror of the possibility of a drunk Minako, they spiced up their Christmas Party with a bit of alcohol; Setsuna and Michiru had put their foot down on rice wine though, according to them that was a little too strong for such an occasion. Setsuna seemed to prefer the dark as did Mamoru, which seemed somehow appropriate, while Michiru sipped casually on her own chardonnay whilst watching Haruka out of the corner of her eye and talking to Ami. Poor Ami, the girl's eyes were still slightly wide from the earlier incident and their seemed to be a permanent blush on her cheeks…

Haruka chuckled to herself at the deviousness of her plan. The dark flash of jealousy and slight possessiveness in the sea-blue eyes gave the blonde shivers…in a very good way. Oh certainly, Michiru was plotting her revenge now. Haruka walked past her lover, placing a kiss on her cheek and then giving her a small wink. Michiru eyed her with amusement and a touch of disdain, obviously knowing her plan after the first incident with Ami. Haruka spared a moment to give the other blue-haired girl what she knew to be a dashing smile causing the genius' face to flame red again.

"Haruka, haven't you scarred Ami enough already tonight?" Michiru said dryly.

"I would most assuredly not call that scarred!" Haruka responded with faux-indignation.

"Go and play out your little self-challenge koibito, just know what you're getting yourself into." Michiru said with a very sultry smile that made Haruka swallow hard. It also made her want to run away to the bedroom and ravish her girlfriend, while ignoring the rest of the Christmas party. But she did not think that Setsuna would appreciate having to play hostess all by herself.

So Haruka settled to respond, "I always do Michi-chan," followed by throwing her arms around the Senshi of Neptune from behind and smothering her cheek and neck with kisses. Michiru giggled and attempted to free herself from Haruka's grasp, ultimately failing. Ami watched this with her face still red, trying and completely failing to understand the two Outer Senshi.

Luckily for Ami, a dark flying ball of energy flung itself into Haruka, interrupting what was starting to look like something that should not be done in public between the blonde and her partner. (Unless you were into that sort of thing. Hentai. We already went over that in the first one-shot.) The flying ball of energy happened to not necessarily be a flying ball of energy. Moreover it was not exactly a ball, it had appendages. And its name was Hotaru, but it was _nearly_ flying and it did have a lot of energy. Of course, Hotaru was not an "it" per say, but a she and in her early teens.

"Oof! Someone gave you too much sparkling cider hime-chan." Haruka remarked, staggering backwards.

"I had to save Michiru-mama from you lecherous intentions in the middle of a party." Hotaru replied, smirking.

"Hotaru-chan, you're cramping my style. Lecherous intentions put aside." Haruka teased.

"Haruka-papa, This Christmas party is about being with family and friends. The other things can wait." Hotaru lectured with a pointed look at Haruka.

"When did you get so old? You don't want to get like your Setsuna-mama do you?" Haruka replied.

"I'm old enough. Hmph." Hotaru mock pouted.

"But still our hime-chan!" Michiru said, pinching Hotaru's cheek. "Thank you for saving me from the lecherous pig." She added as an aside.

"Hmph." Haruka copied Hotaru's earlier pose.

"Be off with you then. But remember what I said!" Michiru warned. Haruka waved this away, leaving behind an exasperated Michiru, a grinning Hotaru, and a thoroughly bewildered Ami (which was rare).

She spotted down her next query. It would be best if she was next, before a certain rose-throwing, tuxedo-wearing young man caught on. Now all she had to do was maneuver Usagi into the right spot and she would be that much closer to her goal…

"Merry Christmas Koneko-chan!" Haruka said brightly as she reached the table where the combined efforts of Makoto and Michiru had achieved some glorious results…the food was delicious. And where there's food, there's Usagi.

Mamoru hovered close by; he was on to Haruka's game, eyeing her and the ceiling. He was sharp tonight; she should get him to drink a bit more. He was still on his first glass; granted, the party had not been going even for an hour yet.

"Haruka-san! Have you tried some of Makoto's spring rolls? They're fabulous!"

"I would imagine." Haruka replied. "Don't eat all of them though; I'll want to have one later."

Haruka looked up at the ceiling to judge her position…ah…perfect…just need to get a little to the left. She grinned as Mamoru was suddenly set upon by Setsuna…a distraction! Even more perfect.

"Oi, koneko-chan, have you tried some of Michiru's chocolate cake?" Haruka suddenly asked. (Never mind that chocolate cake has already been used in this series of one-shots…there's some history behind this chocolate cake thing. Hentai.)

"No!" Usagi gasped. "Oh, and I bet it's fabulous!"

"Come here, I'll cut you a piece."

Haruka situated herself perfectly. Usagi took one…two…three steps toward her…

"Usa-ko!"

Damn. Haruka always knew she couldn't depend on Setsuna…never mind that she's literally pulled her ass out of the fire quite a few times.

Suddenly, Usagi was pulled into Mamoru's arms. He eyed Haruka over Usagi's head. A look that said, 'I know what you're up to and I'm not going to let it happen.'

Haruka blindly grinned back and did a peace sign. But inside she was growling; she had been in perfect position. There was the cake (also dubbed temporarily as the bait in her head), herself, and the mistletoe in conjunction for the advancement of her goal.

For you see…that was Haruka's true goal of this Christmas Eve night; to get each one of the Inner Senshi under the mistletoe. And Michiru…her sea-blue eyes watched with amusement even as she planned to enact her revenge on her wayward/mischievous/not-quite-cheating-but-all-in-good-fun lover.

The mistletoe had been put up within five minutes before the others started to arrive to the Outer Senshi home for the Christmas Party. Michiru had sighed, knowing immediately what Haruka was up to as her partner stepped up on a chair in various places throughout the first level of the house, namely the kitchen, foyer, and living room, and holding the greenery. Setsuna and Hotaru had both been exasperated. Setsuna muttering something about being too old for this and Hotaru, at her age, had perfected the in-bred teenage eye-roll, which she executed in good-humor.

Setsuna had asked Michiru, "Are you going to take this?"

Michiru, eyes on Haruka at her work and hand placed under her chin, responded, "Ara…well…it is Christmas Eve…I love her, and I know she loves me…but, I'll let her have her fun for now."

"Couch tonight?"

"Most definitely."

And then their friends had arrive, and Ami was first to fall victim to Haruka's plot of kissing each one of the Inner Senshi and their princess. It went a little something like this:

"Ami-chan! Konbanwa!"

"Konbanwa Haruka-san."

"You look especially lovely tonight."

"A-Arigatou"

"What do you think of Christmas traditions Ami-chan?"

"What's this all the sudden?"

"Look up."

"Oh."

"Hmmm?"

"H-H-Haruka-san!"

Needless to say, this resulted in a speechless and highly embarrassed Ami and a wolfish-grinning Haruka.

And Usagi, in a way, was the special challenge. Not only was Mamoru going to stop Usagi from stepping under the mistletoe, unless if it was with him, but she was the princess. Haruka sighed, and moved on; she would have to figure out another way to get her under the mistletoe.

"Mamo-chan! What are you doing? I was going to get cake!"

Haruka chuckled to herself as she listened to Usagi's exclamations. She took a moment to observe her living room and the people inside to try to figure out her next target. Mamoru was now serving Usagi a piece of cake, while talking to Setsuna. Hotaru was playing a card game with Makoto, Minako, and Ami. That left Rei and her Michiru. She felt a sudden presence by her side.

"Nice try."

There was her Michiru.

"The night is still young." Haruka responded, taking a sip of her chardonnay.

"If I were anyone else I would have slapped you quite a couple of times now. But, if you were anyone else, you would not be doing this."

"That's why we work, koibito."

They both took a moment to observe their friends and family all around them, taking in the festive atmosphere and general _good _surrounding them. Minako suddenly stood, shouting victory at her hand in the card game. Makoto shook her head, jamming her hand against her forehead in exasperation, while Hotaru visibly sweat-dropped and Ami sighed. Then there was the sound of the flushing toilet and the running water of the sink in the adjacent powder room. Haruka looked over to see Rei walk out of the bathroom and noticed the direction the priestess was taking. This called for a quick interception and the second of her catches of the night. Initiate "Catch Rei Under the Mistletoe" -Go!

"Michiru, I love you." Haruka said in parting.

"You say that as you go kiss another girl." Michiru responded with a roll of her eyes, about as good as teenage!Hotaru some would say. She drained her chardonnay and went in search for the wine bottles, humming the current Christmas tune as she went.

Haruka quickly made her way to intercept Rei directly under the mistletoe. The priestess was heading for the food table, where Mamoru, Usagi, and Setsuna were still standing. There was some mistletoe situated perfectly in the pathway. All it would take…

"Ooomf!" This is the general sound heard when you run into someone and fall over, and our Rei-chan made just this sound as Haruka suddenly appeared in her path.

"Ah, gomen Rei-chan! I wasn't looking where I was going. Let me help you up." Haruka said, holding out a hand.

"Arigatou." Rei said as Haruka pulled her to her feet. "Oh, and thank you for having the Christmas Party here. Surprisingly, we tend to have a lot of visitors to the shrine on Christmas Eve; which I guess, really makes no sense when you think about it..."

"Eh, it's no problem. It gave Michiru an excuse to do her hostess thing. She never got that socialite bug out of her." Haruka smiled charmingly. "Hey, look at that, mistletoe."

"Nani?!"

"Now, now Rei-chan, I thought you of all people would value traditions…Christmas or no." Haruka responded reasonably, pulling Rei in closer.

The priestess surprisingly didn't struggle; maybe it was the mistletoe or maybe it was the fact that Haruka could be so damn captivating regardless of gender. "But what about Michiru-san?"

"Michi-chan is fine; you let me worry about her." And Haruka kissed Rei, a light kiss of no more than a few seconds.

"Arigatou Rei-chan. Enjoy the party." Haruka winked and left Rei standing there slightly light-headed.

Haruka finished off her chardonnay and sat it on an end table before surveying the room once again. In the amount of time she had spent with Rei, the room had changed up a bit. Mamoru and Usagi were now sitting on one of couches, his arm slung about her shoulders as they listened to Hotaru and Ami. Setsuna had joined Makoto, Minako, and a just now sitting down Michiru at a card game. It appeared to be poker and Haruka had to resist a smirk. Makoto and Minako stood no chance with the poker faces both Setsuna and Michiru could pull. Rei was over at the food table, cutting a piece of the chocolate cake while sneaking suspicious glances at Haruka and Michiru. The priestess obviously and rightfully thought something was up.

Everyone was currently occupied, and this called for a bit of intervention. Haruka thought for a moment before settling with one idea. It was simple and nearly guaranteed to work. Haruka watched as Setsuna won a hand of poker before interrupting.

"Makoto-chan, can you help me get the presents from the foyer?"

Makoto looked up from shuffling the card deck. She handed it off to Minako sitting next to her. "Sure, no problem."

Haruka carefully ignored Michiru's pointed look as well as Ami and Mamoru's suspicious glances, but she also had to resist from chuckling; it was all going perfectly to plan. Is this how villains felt when their evil schemes were going their way? Haruka wouldn't know, but she wasn't completely brainwashed by love and justice and all that. After all, she was a wickedly-awesome-we'll-kick-your-asses-any-day-and-look-super-cool-and-attractive-doing-it!Outer Senshi. Course, she had to give some credit to the Inner Senshi and her princess, the love and justice thing somehow always worked for them; and they had gotten a lot better about it.

Hmmm…should she do this before or after getting the presents? Haruka decided to wait until they got the last load. So after making a couple of trips, she set up ambush. Makoto made a final trip into the foyer to get the last of the presents, while Haruka pretended to organize the ones already there. As Makoto reentered the living room, Haruka quickly went to meet her so again she would catch her prey directly under the mistletoe.

"Is that the last of them?" Haruka asked, stopping immediately in front of the tall brunette.

"Yep. This is it."

"Here, let me help you." Haruka took a couple of steps forward and placed her hands right next to Makoto's gripping the bottom present. There was a moment where neither moved, Makoto a little uncertain about their close proximity.

"H-Hey Haruka…you can move; I got the presents."

"No. 'Fraid I can't do that."

"Doushite?" Makoto blinked, looking slightly taken aback.

"The mistletoe. You know those traditions." Haruka grinned roguishly. "Hope you don't mind."

And Haruka claimed her third victim of the night with yet another kiss; this one, a bit more awkward because of the presents pressed between them.

Makoto was surprised, needless to say. It was a good thing that Haruka was also gripping the presents at the time because otherwise they would have ended up on the floor. Haruka turned away, leaving a stunned Makoto.

"Who's ready for presents?" Haruka announced, the attention turning to her.

"Hai!" Usagi gave this victorious shout, leaping to her feet from her position under Mamoru's arm. She did a double take at the red and gaping Makoto.

"Mako-chan? Daijoubu?" Usagi asked.

"Eh?" Makoto blinked rapidly and then waved the question away. "Daijoubu."

"Okay! Time for presents!" Minako announced, clapping her hands excitedly.

There was a bit of a debate as to how they should do this. Excluding the Outer Senshi's presents to each other as they would open those tomorrow morning and Mamoru's and Usagi's presents to each other; there was still a significant number. They settled on each person opening one present at the same time. This way, they could still draw out the event, without doing so to the extreme. In the end, they all were pleased and happy; there was a fair number of jewelry, CDs, DVDs, video games, clothes and accessories, concert tickets, books, all those type of things that people are generally happy to receive.

One of the best had been Haruka's present to the Inner Senshi and Usagi. A car. She had bought one car for them to share once they all got their licenses. This of course, was accompanied by a lot of excitement and exclamations. Then there had been Michiru's present. With each individual present she gave them, included in the wrapping was one unlabeled CD. When asked what it was, the answer was a bit surprising. She had composed and recorded, for each of them, a theme. When listening to their respective themes later, each was surprised to find how well they found them matching their personalities.

Once they were all sitting in mountains of wrapping paper, presents to the side, Haurka knew it was time to finish her plan, she only had two more to go. Now if only Minako or Usagi would make things easy for her. Luckily, something, somewhere out there heard her pleas.

"I'm going to go get something to drink. Anybody else want anything?" Minako stood.

"Oh! Yes!"

"Please."

"Me, as well."

"Cake!"

"…eh." Minako replied looking like she was resisting the urge to face fault.

"I'll help you Minako-chan." Haruka announced, standing from her position on the couch besides Michiru.

"I'm sure you will." Michiru murmured, causing Haruka to involuntarily wince. Then louder, she urged. "Go on, help Minako-chan." Haruka had to resist turning back to look at Michiru's face.

Minako looked at Haruka expectantly and when the taller blonde started moving, the younger blonde flounced off toward the food table leaving Haruka to follow.

Catching Minako under the mistletoe was an easy task. As the Senshi of Love turned around, two drinks in hand, Haruka was right there and the mistletoe was right above. Minako blinked, slightly startled and then proceeded to hand off the two drinks. When Haruka just stood there in response, Minako's eyes darted upwards and a knowing grin came on her face.

"Well?" Minako said, her grin widening.

Haruka put on her own dashing smile. "You're very abrupt Minako-chan."

"I can be; mistletoe falls under my jurisdiction. Don't think I'm not on to your little game either."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Oh, go ahead and kiss me already." Minako responded and then blushed. "I always wondered…"

"…it would probably be best if you didn't finish that thought." Haruka interrupted; the dashing smile replaced by a teasing grin. She leaned down then, and kissed her companion, uninhibited by the two drinks in her hand.

"Not to shabby eh?" Haruka said confidently once they separated.

"Hmph. I've had better." Minako responded.

Haruka missed the wink accompanied by this statement and only stood slightly flabbergasted as Minako got the other orders from their friends.

After they returned to the group, the evening settled into a warm relaxing environment; contentment and happiness evident on everyone's faces, even Michiru as she had come up with a perfect plan for revenge. Haruka was not one to reflect on sentimental things, but having all them gathered for this Christmas party, safe and together after the trials of the past…it just filled the very center of one's soul and outward to the extremities. But maybe that was just the couple of glasses of chardonnay and the overly-sappy Christmas music now playing from the speakers.

Time past accompanied by talk, laughter, and a few low key games and the evening grew late. Haruka started to worry; they would all be going home soon. And she still had not caught Usagi under the mistletoe. She had to figure out a way to get the princess out from under Mamoru and under the mistletoe. Maybe it was the sentimental environment, the chardonnay, and the overly-sappy Christmas music, but she couldn't focus on a particular plan. Before she knew it, their guests were standing up, stretching muscles, getting ready to leave. It took a couple of moments for this to register, and then Haruka's brain went into overdrive.

"I'll get everyone's coats!" She stood up quickly and bounded across the room to the foyer, where everyone's coats had been neatly hung, getting quite a few curious stares in the process.

She had a plan! She would simply give Usagi her coat under the mistletoe and thus catch the princess there. Once she came back into the living room, Makoto and Ami were closest.

Approaching them, she handed out the coats and scarves. "Merry Christmas you two!"

"Merry Christmas Haruka-san." Ami and Makoto responded in near unison.

She had to hold back a laugh as both looked upwards to check for mistletoe before approaching her for a hug. After separating herself from Ami, Haruka accidentally dropped one of the coats in her grasp. Ignoring Makoto's words that she would get it, Haruka bent on down to pick it up only to her a sharp gasp from Ami and a "Kami-sama" from the brunette.

"Nani?" Haruka asked, standing back up. She needn't have asked.

There was Michiru and Usagi. Kissing. Haruka felt her jaw drop open. It was one of the hottest things she had seen in life, albeit, exempting Michiru in general. It also sent the green monster roaring up, replacing the warm, fuzzy, sentimental Christmas thing-feeling-whatever-it-was that had previously taken over.

Granted, they were under the mistletoe, but Haruka had to wander if she looked that intimate when kissing the other girls this evening. Something about the close bodies and the hand placement and of course the actual kissing part.

_THUNK_

…Poor Mamoru had fainted.

* * *

"Merry Christmas!" Hotaru was the last one to shout as a recovered Mamoru with traces of a nosebleed and a still blushing Usagi got into his car.

The Outer Senshi vanished back into the house, Setsuna closing and locking the front door behind her.

"Look at the time! Someone needs to get to bed or Santa's not going to come." Setsuna announced looking at her watch.

"Setsuna-mama! I'm fourteen!" Hotaru replied, complete with the eye roll. "But fine, I'll go anyway. I'm tired. And I don't want to stay up for Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama theatrics."

Hotaru did give them each a hug and a goodnight before making her way upstairs to her bedroom.

"Theatrics?" Michiru murmured. "Someone is to smart for her own good." This was said fondly though.

Setsuna eyed her two friends. "You two…Sometimes I don't know how or why I put up with you."

"Because you love us Sets-chan!" Haruka responded confidently.

Setsuna regarded her two friends before responding with a small smile. "Maybe so. Goodnight you two. Merry Christmas." And with this, the Mistress of Time silently followed Hotaru's path up the steps. When she reached the top though, she turned around to still see Haruka and Michiru standing at the bottom.

"Whatever you two do tonight, fight or…you know…don't be too loud." Setsuna said with a grin befitting her blonde housemate. She then vanished from their sight.

Michiru turned toward her love. "I think she's been spending too much time around you."

"Ah, Michiru, you wound me."

"And you wound me."

Haruka appeared taken aback by this sudden cold statement. "Michiru."

"But…did you learn your lesson?" The lines of Michiru's face softened and Haruka took her under one arm, bringing her close and placing a kiss to her temple.

"Jealous much?" Haruka asked lightly.

"All the time." Michiru whispered.

"I can't stand the way guys look at you."

"I hate your fangirls and your amorous flirting when it's not for me."

"Speaking of amorous things; you kissed Usagi…" Haruka said. "And…it was…well…hot. Smoking really."

"We did make poor Mamoru-kun faint and give him a nosebleed. I don't think he was expecting that."

"I would say the Christmas party was an overall success though; even if I didn't complete my goal."

"Now that you finally got to kiss all—" Michiru began.

"—most." Haruka interrupted.

"Most…of our younger friends. Please don't do it again. Someone will get hurt, whether if it's them…or me."

Haruka looked into Michiru's sea-blue eyes, noting the sincerity, love, and trembling of fear. "Hai. It is our game though."

"True. And I know how you work, and I love you for it. Just no more kissing other people okay."

"Michiru…you know I never…"

"I know." Michiru responded simply and acceptingly. "It is tradition right? However silly. Hmph…mistletoe."

"I happen to like these silly Western things. Christmas in general, I like." Haruka countered.

"I guess there is something about gathering with your loved ones and the nature of giving."

"I like the receiving part."

"Ha-ru-ka." Michiru enunciated against the blonde's shoulder. Maybe it was the Senshi of the Seas very attractive body pressed up against her or the particular way in which she said her name. Maybe it was the fact that Michiru would put up with her antics and forgive her. Maybe it was the extraordinary feeling of loving someone and being loved in return. Or maybe it was the fact that despite what Haruka had done tonight Michiru still loved her. But most likely it was all of these; Haruka felt the warm contentment of a relaxing Christmas party spent with friends change into fiery tingle of desire. The blonde looked up and resisted the urge to laugh.

"Hey Michiru."

"Hmmm?" The aqua-haired girl replied against her shoulder. The vibrations of this simple acknowledgment against her body, made Haruka feel it from her center to her fingers. She repressed the sudden desire to run her fingers along Michiru's smooth creamy skin and thread through her soft hair and to simply ravish her senseless. And this was it. Nothing the other girls could do, Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, even her princess, sent this wave of feeling—love,desire,lust,attraction,heat—through her.

"Mistletoe."

"Kiss me?" Michiru said coyly.

"I thought it was silly."

"Only sometimes."

**Fin**

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that rather silly premise. I can't say when the next oneshot will be out, but I have a few things cooking. Reviews, as always, are appreciated. Again, Merry Christmas everyone!


	10. Smile

A/N: This one is just a brief vignette that I just cranked out; slightly inspired by the movie "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton." Thank you to everyone for the support I received last chapter…that topped the reviews…thank you so much, I really don't know how to say thanks enough, properly, or in such a manner that you know I'm completely sincere on the internet. But I hope you get the picture.

**Smile**

_By Yavapai_

Michiru had many smiles.

One was for her fans and fame; the one most seen by the public. The smile that was captured in the photographs printed in magazines, posters, and newspapers, the smile that was seen during her concerts or art shows, or whenever she happened to make television. It was a beautiful smile...after all it was part of her fame and she had wooed plenty of fans and others this way. But her true friends couldn't help but notice there was something a little lacking in this particular smile when she directed another one at them.

There was another, which she gave when pleased with her accomplishments. This one was more in the eyes, just a slight contented curl of the lips. Barely anyone noticed this one, except those closest to her. It was after Galaxia that the Inner Senshi first recognized it. And it was after Michiru had finished her first portrait of baby Hotaru that Setsuna noticed it. And it was after Haruka had stuttered out a yes to Michiru's proposal of a first date that the blonde had seen it.

There was her sad smile, one that often intertwined with resignation for her duty or a certain act that she did not want to do. But there were other reasons for it too; sometimes too many to count.

There was her smile that went with her laugh. One that caught the eye of everyone in her vicinity and only made them wish they were the ones that made her laugh.

She had her Inner Senshi smile. One reserved just for their antics, enjoying their delight and freedom and love of life, but maybe even unbeknownst to her, this sometime mixed with the sad smile.

The one they all hated the most was her mysterious one. When she was hiding something, or knew something that she couldn't, wouldn't, or simply refused to tell. It connected to her Deep Aqua Mirror and slight precognitive nature; and it was one that both Rei and especially Setsuna found themselves familiar with. This one too, could be wrapped in sadness.

There was one reserved for her family. Haruka, Setsuna, and Hotaru. And also Usagi, Mamoru, Rei, Minako, Ami, and Makoto. Luna, Artemis, and Chibiusa too. This one was sweet and endearing and entirely beautiful. A full, pleasant smile that caused others around her to smile as well and for them to realize what was missing in the smile she gave for her fame.

She had a smile for her antagonists and villains, one that was not quite a sneer. It was chilling and cold; capable of sending shivers down even the spineless. But it also displayed her confidence in the situation and the knowledge that she was getting ready to wipe the floor with whoever dared to earn that smile.

And finally, there was her smile reserved just for Haruka. It had many levels; one was just when they were talking, another for flirting, and another when things were just about to get serious. This smile could be seductive, flirtatious, open, pleased, or just entirely unhampered except by the sheer joy of being with her loved one. There was one that she gave, right before kissing Haruka that caused a shiver of excitement to flow through the blonde's body. And then there was the smile that Michiru gave when she was experiencing the same thing or when Haruka had her arms about her. There was the Haruka smile for their reunion after spending any time apart. There was the Haruka smile for kisses trailed down the body. There was the Haruka smile for when either of them were struggling to catch their breath, naked bodies curled around each other. There was the Haruka smile that nobody saw, right before she feel asleep, feeling the blonde beside her in bed.

Michiru had many smiles; and as she walked into the room seeing the other Senshi and her princess and prince scattered about, with Setsuna and Hotaru by her side and Haruka's armed curled around her waist drawing her close, she gave another one.

**Fin**

A/N: Like I said really brief, but again something I just wrote on a whim and thought to share with the rest of ya'll. Till next time!


	11. 2 plus 1 equals 3some

A/N: The rings that Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna have come from the manga. Um…the time placement of this…sometime right before the Galaxia arc…maybe? Yeah, just go with that.

**2 plus 1 equals 3(some)**

By Yavapai

"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" Minako called out exuberantly from her seat facing the door. She stood up in the booth and waved frantically, nearly knocking over the drink in front of her. The rest of the Inner Senshi's heads swiveled to see their fellow Senshi, and Rei pulled Minako back down to a sitting position.

"Konnichiwa minna!" Haruka responded with a wave and winning smile. She led Michiru by the hand, who with a bit more restraint, waited to greet everyone once at the table.

"What kind of trouble are you girls getting into on this lovely Saturday afternoon?" Michiru said cheerfully, taking the seat offered to her in the booth by Ami. Haruka sat down, opposite of her, next to Usagi.

"Video games!" The joint response came from Usagi and Minako.

"Cooking." Makoto said simply.

"Studying." Ami sighed.

"Shrine duties." Rei shrugged.

Haruka shot a sidelong glance at Michiru, "I see."

"It's more like we're procrastinating." Rei added.

"I really need to start on my organic chemistry project." Ami said, looking slightly worried. "But they won't let me leave yet."

"Ami-chan! It's not due for another two months!" Makoto protested.

"And it's Saturday!" Usagi added.

Michiru bit back a smile and turned toward her fellow Senshi. "No worries, Ami-chan. Haruka won't let me work on my next painting."

"Ohhhh! What is it?" Usagi asked excitedly.

Haruka's face immediately flushed, and she moaned. "Koneko-chan, please don't ask."

"A nude painting of Haruka." Michiru said, closing her eyes and leaning back in her seat, a slightly disgruntled expression on her face. Haruka slouched in response and buried her face in her hands with a groan.

"Oh my." Ami murmured faintly, her own face growing red.

Minako's eyes widened and before she could say anything, Makoto placed a hand over her mouth.

"It's for my private collection." Michiru finished, opening her eyes, disgruntled expression disappearing and replaced with a knowing grin directed at Haruka that was not missed by the rest at the table. Haruka suddenly gave a slight jump and sat up much straighter. She narrowed her eyes at Michiru who calmly looked away, the mirth in her aquamarine gaze hidden from her love. Ami blushed even more, her face a bright red as she had felt Michiru shift her legs beside her, and promptly took a sip of her drink.

"I don't see why you don't do a nice portrait of Hotaru, or finish that one of Setsuna…" Haruka grumbled.

"You painted something of Setsuna?" Rei asked.

"Yes, but I've finished it already despite what Haruka thinks. I had a lot of…inspiration." Michiru said cryptically after a moment's hesitation. The other girls glanced at each other at this curious wording.

"Yes you did." Haruka stated matter-of-factly. "But why not work on your next violin masterpiece?"

"Because I want to do a nude portrait of you koi." Michiru said pointedly.

"Michi-chan, this is not exactly table talk." Haruka responded.

"True. But I am an artist, and you are my inspiration right now."

"I better always be you're inspiration." Haruka growled.

Michiru giggle. "But what about Setsuna?"

Haruka sighed. "I guess that's okay."

The conversation lagged for a moment, as the Inner Senshi appeared a bit bewildered at the previous exchange. Makoto stepped in though. "Where are Setsuna and Hotaru anyway?"

"Setsuna was picking up Hotaru from visiting with Chibiusa-chan at Mamoru-kun's apartment. I think Mamoru-kun took the two to lunch and a movie earlier. They should be here any minute..." Haruka answered looking at her watch.

"How's Hotaru doing?" Usagi asked.

"Good, and being around Chibiusa-chan helps." Michiru said a worried frowned upon her lovely face.

"I sometimes wonder if she's going to have a chance at a real childhood at this rate; there was Nehellenia…and now this incoming threat!" Haruka added darkly, bringing her palm hard down on the table, her words inadvertently bringing up the foreboding presence that all the Senshi were feeling recently. The Inner Senshi jumped at this sudden display of frustration and anger, but Michiru laid a calming hand on her partner's. Nothing was said between the two, even as the rest watched them closely. Minako eyes fluttered down to their hands in the silence, and she could not help but notice the two matching gold rings placed on each of their fingers.

Before anything could be said on any matter, the door to the Crown opened yet again, and Setsuna came in, the shorter figure of Hotaru beside her. They paused in the doorway, looking around for their housemates before Minako repeated the action that got Haruka and Michiru's attention earlier.

"Hey! Setsuna-san! Hotaru-chan! Over here!"

Haruka and Michiru watched Setsuna's slightly exasperated, but amused expression, and Hotaru's face broke into a wide grin. The girl darted from Setsuna's side to their table, leaving the Senshi of Time to make her way to them much more leisurely.

"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru said and flung herself onto Haruka at the booth. Haruka grunted at the impact, but then laughed and ruffled Hotaru's hair.

"Guess what!" Hotaru exclaimed, peering up at Haruka.

"What?"

"Setsuna-mama ran a red light!"

Haruka looked up at the approaching Setsuna with a raised eyebrow.

"It had just turned red." Setsuna responded, a defensive tone in her voice.

"I don't know whether to be proud or worried." Haruka said as Hotaru let her go to spring over to Michiru who had watched the exchange with a content smile on her face.

"Konnichiwa hime-chan. How has your day been?" Michiru asked as Hotaru settled herself next to the aqua-haired woman.

"Good! Chibiusa-chan and I got to go out to lunch with Mamoru-san and then got to see a movie."

"Was the movie any good?"

"Chibiusa-chan and I thought it was good, but I think Mamoru-san fell asleep." Hotaru giggled.

"Did you thank him?"

"Of course!"

"Such perfect manners." Michiru nodded approvingly.

"It's a good thing that Hotaru has such model parents, can you imagine if she had to learn manners from odango?" Rei said, as she watched the exchange between the Outer Senshi.

"Rei-chan! I have great manners!" Usagi said, standing up and leaning forward to place her palms on the table.

"Oh! Mamoru-kun said to tell you that he would be by at seven o'clock tonight to take you for dinner." Hotaru interrupted, nearly climbing over Michiru to get in between the coming argument.

Rei paused, mouth open to give a retort, but closed it as Usagi's angry features turned to a pleased grin.

"I'm so glad Mamo-chan decided to surprise me with this!" Usagi said starry-eyed.

"He also said that he did not want you to feel left out after he spent most of the day with me and Chibiusa-chan." Hotaru added a mischievous look in her eyes.

Usagi sputtered, the starry-eyed look vanishing. Haruka chuckled as the Inners' teased Usagi, but the girl quickly turned to Hotaru for more details about the day and exactly what Mamoru had said. Haruka's chuckling stopped rather abruptly as she saw Setsuna reach a hand up to her head and wince. Michiru's attention had already turned to their friend, the Senshi of the Seas reaching out a hand to place reassuringly at Setsuna's arm. The three Outer Senshi exchanged looks then, coming to a silent agreement to speak later. Haruka with this in mind absentmindedly fiddled with the ring on her finger.

Setsuna caught Haruka's movements and did not resist the automatic reaction to touch the same ring on her own finger. Minako at that moment had looked up from the Inners' conversation with Hotaru, and wide blue eyes caught the gold ring on the Time Guardian's finger.

For a second, the Senshi of Love just watched the three Outer Senshi. She observed as Haruka stood up from the booth and placed a hand on Setsuna's waist as she passed by the green-haired woman. Michiru gently moved out of Hotaru's way, who in the middle of conversation with the Inner Senshi had already nearly climbed over the aqua-haired woman, leaving the girl to answer questions from Usagi and the others. Michiru accepted the hand from Haruka to help her stand. Minkao watched as they couple continued to hold their hands, but Michiru leaned away from Haruka. The Senshi of the Seas laid her spare hand on Setsuna's arm, and leaned upwards, her mouth parting sensually near Time Senshi's ear to say something unheard by the rest.

Minako was struck by a thought. She looked at the three Senshi standing together, the intimate familiarity between the three, the gold rings placed on each of their fingers. She thought of Michiru and Haruka's slightly suspicious conversation and the previous actions following Setsuna and Hotaru's arrival. She remained silent as Michiru announced that it was time to go, and as Hotaru climbed off of the booth, picture in hand. They exchanged goodbyes, and as the Outer Senshi walked out the door the conversation picked up among her companions. Minako remained silent, still stuck in her thoughts until Rei poked her.

"Itai! Rei-chan!"

"Are you still with us Minako-chan?"

Minako's forehead wrinkled, a curious expression upon her face as her friends watched her silently. "Haruka-san…Michiru-san and Setsuna-san…Did any of you notice anything different between them?"

Rei shot her a look, "Like what?"

"Oh…I don't know…

"Minako-chan, just say it!" Usagi proclaimed, on the edge of her seat.

"Well…think about that conversation we had with just Haruka and Michiru, and that bit about Setsuna. Don't you think that was weird? And then, they just seemed so close and kept touching each other while we were talking to Hotaru-chan. And that's not the end of it! They each have a matching gold ring on their fingers!"

"Just what are you trying to insinuate Minako-chan?" Ami said slowly.

Makoto gasped. "You don't think…?"

Minako nodded.

"They're modeling jewelry together!" Usagi exclaimed.

Minako kept nodding at first before putting together what Usagi had said. "What? No!"

Rei, whose eyebrows had been about to disappear into her hairline before Usagi's outburst, abruptly buried her face in her hand. "Agh! No! That's not what Minako-chan is trying to say!"

"Then what is she trying to say!" Usagi challenged.

Rei clammed up at this, her face turning bright red. Usagi was about to gloat victory over her friend, when Ami spoke again.

"Minako-chan, that's preposterous! The three of them!"

"But think about Haruka-san and Michiru-san, I don't think it would be unreasonable for Setsuna to be included." Minako said seriously, crossing her arms.

"Haruka-san and Michiru-san are in love just as much as Usagi-san and Mamoru-kun, there's no reason for Setsuna to be involved." Makoto said, looking unfazed, but she shifted in her seat uncomfortably nevertheless.

Usagi finally understood and with a vague sound, quickly leaned back in her seat in surprise. "Haruka-san, Michiru-san…and Setsuna-san…together?"

Minako nodded gravely, "That's what it looks like."

A few days passed uneventfully despite the rising tension all the Senshi could feel. They were on the brink of something…something horrendous and terrible that threatened to consume them all in unadulterated hatred. Despite this, or maybe in spite of it, the Inner Senshi felt their minds draw back to their Outer Senshi counterparts. Minako's little idea was growing and wasn't so much a little idea anymore. Every little action any of the Outer Senshi had taken in the past was brought up and completely re-analyzed, and it wasn't long before each of the Inner Senshi at least partially supported Minako's theory.

They had only see Hotaru in the past few days; and luckily both Ami and Makoto had managed to keep their fellow friends from asking the girl any awkward questions. It was an overcast afternoon the next time they saw any of the elder Outer Senshi. Multiple youma had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and decided to terrorize the citizens and streets of Tokyo. Of course this was a job for the Sailor Senshi.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The fiery arrow crashed into the side of the building, the youma's size hiding its speed. The energy of the arrow dissipated, and all visible signs of it disappeared leaving only a blackened indenture in the wall of the building from the impact. Sailor Mars dodged with a graceful side roll, able to shield her body with a compact car abandoned by its owners during the fight. She heard the harsh impact and felt the car rock as the youma sent out its own energy attacks.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The youma again dodged this attack, for all appearances snarling in contempt at its opponents. Sailor Jupiter was also forced to take cover quickly as it turned its attention onto her. Mars saw her opportunity, and quickly jumped up and aimed an attack over the car.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

This time the arrow hit its mark and the youma let out an unearthly screech before disappearing. But there was no rest for the two senshi…

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

Mars and Jupiter watched Sailor Venus, jumping from the top of one empty car to another; take down another youma, the golden explosive energy combusting in upon the monster. Mars and Jupiter nodded to each other, both zeroing in on separate youma before taking off after there targets. Venus with her vantage point, aimed another attack at a youma targeting Sailor Mercury, her back turned, battling another opponent.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

The chain wrapped around the monster's arm and Venus pulled with superhuman strength. The youma came flying backwards to the right of Venus who watched with satisfaction as the creature hit a nearby building.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

A few notes strummed upon the small harp, water rising and bending to her will, it rushed into the youma she was targeting, halting its progress; it paused looking almost confused as its body started to dissipate.

"Mercury! See if you can figure out where they are coming from!" That was Sailor Moon; she was clutching a child that had somehow got left behind in the mass exodus of people leaving the battle site. She was crouched behind a car, unable to attack with the child clinging to her for protection. There was nowhere safe in her immediate vicinity to place the child; not even a news crew trying to catch the Sailor Senshi in action and document the attack and resulting destruction.

"Sailor Moon! Look behind you!" Sailor Mars called, pausing in her pursuit of a youma and her attention deviating. She paid for this warning, and she couldn't stop the groan of pain as bulbous arm of a youma sent her flying backwards and skidding across the pavement before crashing against yet another car.

"Mars!" Sailor Moon called, but resisted the urge to run over to her friend and instead turned toward the youma Mars had warned her against. Sailor Moon managed to leap out of the way as an attack came crashing down toward her, the child still clutching to her. She dodged again as yet another youma targeted her. Almost simultaneously, she heard a shout of pain from both Mercury and Venus and she resisted the urge to turn to check on them. Then there was another youma bearing down on her and the child, and they were all launching attacks and she had no more time to think, only to dodge.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The attack barreled into one of the monsters, Jupiter physically following it giving Sailor Moon a chance to breathe and level her own attack.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

She disentangled one of her arms from the child and sent her tiara flying. It nailed a youma on its head and the creature let out a howl, falling backwards with failing arms. Jupiter laid the third youma down with successive punches and kicks. But as the Sailor Moon and Jupiter stood back to back, the two youma rose to their feet, appearing all the nastier, and they were joined by three more snarling creatures. Jupiter readied her attack and Sailor Moon managed to tuck the child between the two to launch her own.

"Silent Wall!"

Jupiter drew back in surprise as the barrier appeared around them and Sailor Moon nearly stumbled as the child gripped her in fear yet again.

"It's okay." Sailor Moon said soothingly with a relieved grin, patting the child on the head.

"Dead Scream."

"Space Sword Blaster!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

The crackling purple energy of Sailor Pluto's attack connected with one of creatures, while the slashes of light from Uranus's Space Sword and Neptune's Deep Aqua Mirror emitted aqueous power to take down two more of them.

The Outer Senshi came charging in, wielding their various weapons. Saturn's glaive made quick work of two more of the youma, while she cleaved a path to the just now recovering Mercury. Pluto, with a graceful twirl, brought her staff and Garnet Orb upon another opponent before reaching Venus. Neptune made short work of the youma blocking her way Sailor Mars who was just now pulling herself to her feet. And Uranus dropped down right in the front of Sailor Moon, Jupiter, and the child.

"You two okay?" Uranus asked, her normal devilish grin gone and her face steeled into that of a warrior.

"Hai!" Sailor Moon smiled. Jupiter simply nodded her head.

Before any more conversation could proceed, Neptune let out a warning call. "We got more of them!"

Their heads turned to Neptune and a recovered Mars, both battle ready as more youma appeared.

"Over here too!" Saturn's voice reached them.

"Hmph. What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into these days koneko-chan?" Uranus smirked. "And look, here's more of the bastards. Jupiter?"

"Ready when you are." The brunette responded.

"Let's go! World Shaking!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

And so the battle continued. It wasn't really a battle of epic proportions, despite being severely outnumbered. Those battles would come in later years. But they couldn't figure out where all the creatures were coming from, and they didn't exactly have the time to sit and ponder it during the middle of this battle. Later it was discovered between Setsuna and Ami that they youma stemmed from an alternate universe that was overrun with the creatures. It explained the disruption of the Time Gate Setsuna had felt the previous Saturday, and the curious readings she got when she had gone to investigate later that day. It certainly went with the buildup of tension the Senshi had felt recently, but according to Ami, this was a onetime situation. There were a lot more physics involved that scientifically explained why the two universes had briefly connected. Of course when the physics of this was explained to the rest, it left the majority of the Senshi wide eyed and confused and about all they got out of it was that this was an extremely rare and accidental occurrence…so it really wasn't all that important (and Setsuna had already made it so that it wouldn't happen again). What was important was that they deal with the present situation of these youma running amuck in downtown Tokyo threatening death and destruction. It was not a matter to be taken lightly…

"Pluto!" Neptune cried out, her voice tense with fear. She dispatched another youma with a well timed and placed 'Deep Submerge' and rushed over to the other Senshi. Pluto had ended up alone and surrounded by youma, even with her adept skill, she was simply overpowered by the sheer number around her. She had been in the middle of unleashing a "Dead Scream" when one of the youma finally nailed her with an unseen attack and this was followed by a physical attack from yet another monster before she could recover. Now Pluto lay stunned upon the ground, trying to retain her wits. Luckily at this point, Neptune had spotted Pluto's predicament.

Neptune didn't know if any of the attacks could actually kill Sailor Pluto, but she didn't want to take the chance and she didn't want her friend to be in unnecessary pain either. A snake-like youma intercepted her after just a few steps in the direction of her friend. It moved to attack Neptune, fangs glistening. She shifted her body weight to the right, neatly dodging the attack and then ripped at a "Submarine Reflection" at the close range with the neck of the monster extended past her. With that youma down, Neptune turned her attention back to Pluto, horrified to find that the creatures surrounding her friend were poised to unleash their attack.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Two of the creatures crumpled to the ground then dissipated into the air. The rest of the youma's attention turned toward their new adversary who didn't give them any time to think. Uranus put the Space Sword to good use, flipping and dodging around attacks and then countering with the sword. She wrecked havoc upon them, but again the numbers were great, even for an experienced and skilled melee fighter. She plunged the Space Sword into the chest of one creature and then spun around to block the attack of another. And when yet another enemy launched some sort of energy blast upon her, she found herself protected by Sailor Neptune and her Deep Aqua Mirror. The blast was reflected back upon the creature, obliterating it.

Uranus grinned; there was nothing like fighting alongside of Neptune. Of course, it wasn't as good or as fun as sex, but it was a whole different experience and wasn't really comparable anyway. But they could anticipate each other in battle and trusted each other to a fault. Simply, they could react to each other almost perfectly and could nearly predicate each others movement. They were a team above all else and only a few could withstand them when they fought together.

A few twists and turns and both landed back to back in front of Pluto who was working her way into sitting position. And for a second, nothing around them moved.

"Haruka." Neptune said lightly with a smile to match.

"Michiru." Uranus responded with more of a smirk of confidence.

"Stop showing off already." Pluto grumbled.

"Setsuna, quiet, you're supposed to be an invalid right about now." Uranus teased.

"Oh, go on then."

And then the youma were sneering down upon the three Senshi, simple minds convinced they were about to claim victory. Their destruction started with two attacks.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerged!"

After that Uranus and Neptune tore through their opponents. And it was only a minute later that they stood unchallenged. They shared exhilarated grins before turning back to their fellow Outer Senshi.

"Pluto, you're getting old, letting low-level youma do that too you." Uranus said as Neptune knelt down next to their friend.

Pluto mock-glared back at her, "I, unlike you, was fighting on my own versus that same amount of youma. Plus, it was a lucky hit."

Neptune attracted her attention with a hand to the shoulder. "Are you okay though? Any major pain?"

Uranus let the teasing go and hovered beside the two, concern now etched upon her features. Unnoticed by the three, the rest of the Senshi were picking their way across the destructed street of Tokyo from various angles, some a little worse for the wear, but finished with their own fights with no major damage. It seemed that the previously unending tide of youma had finally stemmed off.

"Nothing too bad. My leg though…I think I might have a small fracture from the impact…But nothing that my Senshi powers shouldn't heal up in a few hours." Pluto responded to Neptune's inquiry.

"Let's move you out of here then. Maybe Saturn's healing can speed up the process a bit more." Uranus said. She bent down, bringing Pluto's left arm around her shoulder and wrapping her own around the Senshi of Time's back. Neptune mimicked her actions on the right side, and between the two of them, they easily pulled Pluto to her feet and took her weight.

By then, the other Senshi, all but Saturn who had escorted the child to the paramedics just down the street, had gotten within earshot. The Inners and Sailor Moon paying more attention to the three Outers close proximity then the situation called for; perhaps turning a blind eye to the awkward way Pluto held her leg.

"Setsuna, I don't know what we're going to do with you." Neptune teased.

"Hmph, I think you should turn that statement around."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neptune pleaded innocent.

"Koi, you were a little wild last night." Uranus added.

"Shush you." Neptune said, not at all serious, "This is a conversation between Setsuna and me."

"Michiru…how do I say it…you were a bit insatiable." Pluto said.

"Insatiable…?" Neptune, for her part, just looked confused.

"You kept both of us up all night!" Pluto announced, she then grimaced, Uranus and Neptune taking her full weight as her legs buckled. "Itai…"

"Easy Sets." Uranus warned. "We got you."

"I hate that name." Pluto grumbled. "But like I was saying; really Michiru, you nearly caused us to wake up Hotaru."

"…perhaps I was a little…much?" Neptune smiled innocently.

The rest of the Senshi, during this exchange absorbed the conversation and interaction between the three. And due to their previous discussions…this seemed to be irrefutable evidence to the relationship among the three elder Outer Senshi. They exchanged wide-eyed glances, unsure of how to proceed for the three seemed to be off in their own world. This is when Sailor Saturn returned from successfully handing the child over to the paramedics. The Inner Senshi and Sailor Moon turned at her approach and watched as her youthful features creased in concern and worry at the sight of Sailor Pluto. Saturn's mouth opened, prepared to call out to her mother-figure, but Sailor Venus was at her side before anything could be said.

Venus wrapped one arm around Saturn's torso and used her other hand to cover Saturn's mouth catching the Senshi of Death and Rebirth by surprised. The other Senshi quickly surrounded her and luckily for them, Saturn seemed more confused then angry…she was still holding her glaive after all.

"Wait just a second Hotaru-chan. You don't want to bother them right now..." Venus said. They couldn't let Hotaru find out about her parental figures like this! The whole situation! It was just…

Saturn took hold of Venus' forearm and lifted it to remove the offending hand from her mouth. "What's going on? Pluto…Setsuna-mama is hurt!"

The Senshi glanced at each other…how to explain this?

"Well…you see Hotaru-chan…hehe…" Sailor Moon tried to begin, but only ended up scratching her head awkwardly.

"When you get older there are…" Mars attempted, but then clammed up. Had the girl even had the birds-and-the-bees talk yet?

The Inner Senshi and Sailor Moon exchanged a mixture of horrified and embarrassed looks.

"Saturn!" That was Pluto's voice. Saturn took advantage of the other Senshi's distraction and broke through their ranks. She dashed the distance to the Outer Senshi, and stopped short in front of them.

"Hotaru-chan? Daijobu?" Neptune asked.

"Daijobu. But Setsuna-mama, are you?"

"Just a few scratches hime-chan." Pluto got out before the rest of the Senshi joined them. Venus strolled purposefully up to Saturn and pulled her back amongst the Inner Senshi to the confusion of both Saturn and the other Outer Senshi.

"Are you sure you should be subjecting an innocent child to your behavior!?" Venus demanded righteously, a finger pointed accusingly at the three elder Outer Senshi.

"Child?" Saturn asked, looking slightly put-off.

"Our behavior?" Uranus asked with a raised eyebrow, exchanging looks with both Neptune and Pluto. Venus looked unsure of how to continue, her eyes darting to her companions for support. Uranus' eyes grew hard, her mouth a straight line, as she took in the nervous looking Inner Senshi.

"Is this about Michiru and me? You all have never had a problem with us in the past. Hotaru understands." Uranus said, her voice held contempt and a bit of judgment. Neptune's face adopted unreadable features, her cool gaze resting upon the Inner Senshi before her.

"No!" Sailor Moon said fervently. "No, of course not. What you and Michiru have…had?...is a beautiful thing! What we're talking about is you, Michiru and Setsuna."

"What about us?" Neptune said slowly, voice and demeanor still cool.

"Hold on!" Mercury interrupted. "I think Hotaru and I are going to go for a walk." Really, it was the perfect idea. It got Hotaru away from this conversation and it got her away from it too. This kind of talk wasn't exactly her forte.

"If you feel it is necessary." Neptune responded, she now just sounded confused; a rare thing indeed for the Senshi of the Seas.

"Perhaps it might help the situation be cleared with a little less embarrassment for a few parties." Mercury said, her face flushed. "Let's go Saturn; we can help the paramedics for a bit."

Saturn glanced at her parents. Both Neptune and Pluto nodded their assent and Uranus gave her a slight, but encouraging smile. The two Senshi turned, walking side by side, and picked their way through the destruction toward the flashing lights just a few blocks away. The remaining Inner Senshi turned back to see Uranus and Neptune gently lower Pluto to the ground so that her back was resting against yet another abandoned car. They watched their movements closely.

"Now what's this all about?" Uranus asked levelly as she leaned against the same car that Pluto was.

"Normally I don't think any of us would really have a problem with this situation if it wasn't for Hotaru-chan." Jupiter stated. "But don't you think she's a little young to be in a house where you three have such a relationship?"

"What kind of relationship is that, Makoto-chan?" Neptune remarked.

"What Mako-chan means to say is that we're happy for you three if you are happy! But what about Hotaru-chan?" Sailor Moon announced earnestly.

"Hey, it's good that Setsuna-san is getting some! She always seemed more of the loner type to me." Venus said cheerily and with a wicked grin.

Pluto's face drained of all color at this remark; she appeared quite speechless. Neptune and Uranus both were quite taken back; the tall blonde's jaw dropped open and the aqua-haired woman blinked rapidly.

"So is it really true; what they say about threesomes? Is it-" Venus was cut off by Mars' hand.

"Minako-chan! Totally unnecessary!" Mars snapped

"I think there has been a bit of a misunderstanding." Neptune said slowly.

An awkward silence settled over the group. The Outer Senshi stared at the Inner Senshi. The Inner Senshi stared at the Outer Senshi. And elsewhere, in another time, in a different universe, a Sailor Pluto was laughing. But in this place, in this time, and in this universe, Sailor Pluto's face, previously ashen, now flamed with color.

Sailor Moon was the first to break the silence. "So you three are not…"

"Involved?" Mars finished with a wince.

"No." Pluto said assuredly; attempting to regain control of herself and the situation.

"But what about the rings?" Venus questioned.

"The rings…?" Uranus echoed.

"And all the talk about the painting?" Venus continued.

"Which painting?" Neptune asked curiously.

"And just how you act around each other and stuff?" Venus finished.

"…and stuff?" Jupiter winced.

Again, silence settled over the group. The Inner Senshi waited expectant on an answer to explain why all the conclusive evidence they had was not so conclusive. And the Outer Senshi looked at each other, unsure of how to begin and exactly what to say.

Then Neptune spoke, "I'm not quite sure how you got this idea, but you should know that Haruka and I are completely exclusive. I love Setsuna, yes. And Haruka loves Setsuna. But I am in love with Haruka and-"

"I am in love with Michiru." Uranus interrupted.

Neptune, unable to control herself at those words, smiled. "Setsuna is our best friend. We live with her and we raise a child with her. I think we are allotted a bit of closeness, but in no way are we intimate."

"And the rings?" Venus could not help but ask.

"They are a pact, a vow, among us to raise Hotaru as best as we can." Pluto answered, attempting aloofness, but the blush still on her cheeks prevented it.

"And what about what we just heard? About Michiru being…insatiable?" Sailor Moon pressed, stumbling over the last word.

"I was up late practicing my violin…and got a little carried away improvising." Neptune stated. She turned to Uranus and Pluto, "Really, insatiable?"

The two nodded and silence settled over the group yet again.

"Oh…well…um…sorry?" Venus said after a few seconds.

"Is everything clear?" Pluto asked.

The Inner Senshi nodded in response, all but Venus looking a bit embarrassed for assuming the wrong thing.

"We'll meet later this week to figure out what this attack was all about." Uranus said and the other two Outer Senshi nodded their ascent. She bent down and pulled Pluto to her feet, Neptune coming over to help. And as they walked away to collect Hotaru, they could hear the Inner Senshi erupt behind them.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Venus said sounding nervous.

"Venus!" Mars roared. It was good thing she yelled out "Venus" and not "Minako" because the call echoed down the street. Not to mention that the authorities were beginning to make their way down the street as well.

"What? You all believed it too!"

"But it was your idea in the first place!"

"Now, hang on…wait! Just think…no! Stay right there! Let's think about this! Itai!"

Haruka drove, easily dodging and speeding around traffic. Michiru sat in the passenger seat, appearing relaxed, while Setsuna and Hotaru were placed in the back. Setsuna was looking out the window, trying to ignore her two snickering friends. Hotaru looked on, expression puzzled.

"What was that all about earlier?" The girl finally asked as they pulled into their driveway, unable to take it anymore.

"Nothing hime-chan. Just a misunderstanding." Michiru answered.

Hotaru decided it would be best to just take this explanation. Neither of her other parents seemed as if they would give anymore information. She sprung out of the car as soon as Haruka put it in park and the blonde tossed her the keys as the girl ran around the hood. Hotaru caught them with the ease of a lot of practice and ran up to unlock the door.

Setsuna opened her door and looked up, only to find her two friends standing immediately in front of her.

"I can walk fine now." Setsuna said.

"Aw, Sets, would it be that bad…being with the two of us?" Haruka grinned.

"No. Yes! I mean…"

"Haruka, don't tease her so!" Michiru said, lightly elbowing her partner. But she was smiling widely, plainly amused.

"Hmph." Setsuna responded, standing up and pushing past her two housemates. She marched up to the door before turning around and calling back, "Besides, you two wouldn't be able to handle me." And she marched on inside.

"…that was…surprisingly out of character." Michiru remarked.

"Couldn't handle her? As if!" Haruka grumbled.

Michiru patted her lover on the shoulder, "Well if you even decide to give it a try, let me know?"

"What? Michiru? Hey!" Haruka replied, catching Michiru's wrist as she walked past. She pulled the smaller woman to her, wrapping her arms around her. Michiru's arms, on instinct, went around the blonde's neck and she looked at her partner with half-lidded eyes. Haruka kissed her, arms pulling each other closer. Michiru pulled back, sea-blue eyes bright.

"You know," The artist began, running a smooth hand across Haruka's face, "I think I just got inspired."

"Oh no." Haruka pleaded. "I know that look. Not another painting…please!"

"Baka, I wasn't talking about painting."

**Fin**

A/N: Thanks for reading and all reviews are greatly appreciated!


	12. Sins

A/N: I felt a need to write this oneshot. What Haruka and Michiru did during the Galaxia arc was never really addressed at the end of the series, even though, certainly, the others would have understood their decisions. But I think that after everything is said and done, Haruka and Michiru would have serious issues with what they did. And not only did Haruka and Michiru ultimately fail, but Usagi comes through with the exact opposite philosophy that both of them have. I also think their pride would have prevented either of them from approaching Setsuna, Hotaru, or Usagi about what they have done, believing that they deserved whatever self punishment they could dish out. Thus I see them both with some sort of unbalanced guilty mental state.

To deal with what they've done and reconcile themselves with the others…I came up with this oneshot, which is, obviously, a bit more on the serious side.

Also, I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the continuous support and patience I've received.

And finally, italics are used in this oneshot to denote dialogue taken directly from the anime.

I don't own Sailor Moon.

**Sins**

By Yavapai

_Are…you…scared, Michiru?_

_Haruka…_

_What?_

_I…want…to…touch…you…Haruka._

…

_I…can…see…the…light…_

_You're…warm…Michiru…_

They died.

They had a glimpse at what lay beyond their physical being. They had felt the warm comforting grip of each others' hands. There had been soft, springy grass under their feet and cherry blossoms floating in the air. There had been a playful breeze, brushing and rushing around them and the sound and smell of the sea drifting to their senses. They had felt light and airy like there was nothing weighing them down and the Senshi of the Heavens knew instinctively that she could have run for as long and as far as she wanted to. And there had been music; sounds that the Senshi of the Seas had been searching for since she picked up her instrument at an early age. And they saw the others; Mamoru, Chibiusa, Rei, Minako, Makoto, and Ami. …Setsuna…Hotaru. But before anything could be truly realized, their princess was calling them back and they knew that they were needed.

_Everyone, I hung in there! But I'm lonely…I'm not that strong! I'm alone, everyone!_

The pride…the adoration…their princess had saved the world and she had saved them. And at this point, the only thing they could feel was joy and love. It was their princess, the other Senshi, each other too, and the sheer instinctive and human feeling of cheating death, no matter how glorious the afterlife was, and having another chance of physical existence.

_There's nothing to wish upon. Now is our happiest moment! Isn't it, Haruka?_

_Hai!_

That happiest moment vanished; a few days of complete bliss gone.

"Kami-sama…"

Haruka breathed, jolting awake at the image of her daughter with hurt, betrayed eyes flashing through her mind in the middle of the night.

Michiru was warm beside her in the bed. Aqua hair strewn across the pillow and sheets; her body and face completely relaxed in sleep. Haruka reached out a hand to her lover, wanting to feel the soft skin and rippling life beneath; the warm, physical comfort. But as her hand glided forward in the dark, Michiru started to fade, to cease to exist. Haruka's eyes widened; her hand stilling, frozen and Michiru was disappearing before her. It was just like…

Things came back into focus for Haruka with a sharp blink; Michiru was there, whole and complete, oblivious in her sleep. She sighed in relief, and stared at her sleeping lover, her visage calming and relaxing.

Unbidden, Hotaru danced across Haruka's mind again. Hotaru dying. Hotaru dying, disappearing because of her. Her daughter dead because of her. And Setsuna. Setsuna, her best friend. And…kami-sama…Michiru. She had led Michiru down that path. She had raised her hands against her family and her princess; the one she had sworn to protect. She had condemned them all and betrayed their princess. Her duty. Her _family_.

Haruka felt utterly and completely disgusted with herself. Bile rose to her throat. And somehow she made it to the toilet.

Somewhere in the misery of vomiting, she felt a cool hand on her back.

When she finally felt the worst of the nausea pass, her body trembling and weak from the repetitive force, she sat back against the bathroom wall. A glass of water was handed to her.

"I didn't mean to wake you." Haruka's voice was hoarse, raw.

"Shh…stop being selfish. Do you feel okay now?"

No. "Yes."

Michiru appraised her with a look. She knelt down next to Haruka, the bathroom tile cold against her bare legs. She brought the back of her hand to her partner's forehead, lifting up underneath the blonde bangs. Michiru's concerned eyes locked onto Haruka's green ones, but Haruka's gaze wavered, eyes darting down and to the side.

"Do you need anything? Something to settle your stomach?" Michiru asked, threading her fingers through Haruka's blonde hair.

"No. No I'm fine. Go on back to bed. I'll be there in a few minutes." Haruka responded.

Michiru's gaze remained steady, her body unmoving except for the hand in the blonde's hair. There was a certain darkness about Haruka at the moment, and Michiru, for once, did not know where to begin to attempt taking it away.

Because she knew the pain too.

"Go on Michiru. I'm fine. You get your sleep." Haruka forced herself to meet Michiru's gaze. The love and fierce protectiveness in the sea-blue eyes bit at Haruka's soul. 'Don't look at me like that…I'm…I'm not…' She searched for the courage to speak, but found herself lacking.

"Okay." Michiru's voice was soft, but held a hint of confusion and worry. She leaned forward and placed a tender kiss to Haruka's temple before standing and leaving her on the floor of the bathroom.

Haruka gathered herself together in a breath. She stood, her normally powerful legs weak and shaky, and she stumbled the few steps to the bathroom counter. She forced her head upwards, looking into the image reflected in the mirror. The face was pale, and there was a light sheen of sweat decorating the forehead. The blonde hair looked faded and hung limply. The eyes were a pale comparison to the color known as green.

The figure that met her eyes was not Tenoh Haruka that she was familiar with. The person in the mirror was not a friend, a father-figure, a lover. The person in the mirror was a traitor and a murderer.

And Tenoh Haruka felt dirty and tainted.

In the bedroom, Michiru laid down on her side of the bed, facing the bathroom door, her sea-blue eyes cloudy and pained. She closed them, and let the dreams bring her torment. She loathed her sleep, but let her punishment be. It was the only was she made it through each day, atoning for a fraction of her sin at night.

Those happiest moments were gone.

* * *

Michiru woke the next morning to cold bed sheets. She blinked away the nightmares and pried her eyes open. She felt like a groggy mess, but urged her stiff body out of the bed. She winced as she opened the blinds to the bedroom, the sunlight penetrating and harsh. She made her way to the bathroom and winced yet again as she took in her image in the mirror. Her thoughts wondered to Haruka as she settled into her morning routine. Concern embedded itself and rose up inside of her. She knew that physically, Haruka was more than likely okay, but if what she felt last night…

As she exited the bathroom, she was surprised to find Haruka sitting, utterly still, upon their unmade bed staring pensively into space.

"Haruka…?" Michiru ventured hesitantly.

Haruka looked up and she smiled wanly, "Hai?"

"Are you feeling okay this morning?"

"Hai, I'm better."

Michiru walked on past her, to her closet, shedding her bathrobe and selecting an outfit for the day.

"Where were you this morning? The bed was cold." Michiru said lightly.

"Restless, I couldn't sleep." Haruka replied, her eyes unexpectedly not watching Michiru dress, but placed on the ground. She looked up though, and a more normal smile appeared on her face. "I made breakfast."

Michiru relaxed. Haruka had smiled, she had fixed the disaster she was when she had first woken up this morning, and breakfast was already made. She approached Haruka, climbing onto the bed, to kneel behind the blonde. She draped her arms around Haruka's neck, and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"I love you." Michiru said simply, then got up and made her way toward the door. She turned around, "Are you going to join me for breakfast?"

"I'll be down in a few minutes."

Michiru nodded her acceptance and left their bedroom, closing the door behind her. She wandered through the hallway, past the living room, and into the kitchen where she found both Setsuna and Hotaru already sitting at the breakfast table. The warm morning light made the kitchen seem bright and vibrant and there was just a general feeling of life in the room.

"Ohayo Michiru-mama!" Hotaru said cheerily from her seat.

"Ohayo hime-chan." Michiru smiled back at the girl. "Ohayo Setsuna."

"Michiru," Setsuna said fondly. "Sleep well?"

Michiru, over at the fridge, froze at this question. Luckily, Setsuna was facing the other way and Hotaru was too busy with her pancakes to notice. Setsuna….

"F-F-ahem-Fine." Michiru responded as the other two gave her questioning looks. "Sorry, I still have a bit of sleepiness in my throat."

Michiru selected a couple of pancakes from the stack placed on the counter and joined the other two Outer Senshi with at the table with a glass of juice also in hand. Hotaru talked merrily of her plans for the day occasionally hinting at missing Chibiusa, while Setsuna responded both accordingly and lovingly. Michiru, for the most part, remained silent, watching her two housemates. The brightness and life of the kitchen seemed excessive now, mocking. She closed her eyes, her pancakes and juice tasted bland and she left the majority of it untouched.

Her eyes opened as she heard Haruka's footfalls approaching the kitchen. The blonde entered, dressed for running in the cold winter air with long track pants and jacket as well as gloves and a headband for her ears.

"Haruka, are you going to eat?" Michiru asked as Haruka poured herself a glass of water.

"I ate earlier." Haruka said evasively.

"I didn't know you had it in you Haruka, but these pancakes are actually quite good." Setsuna said teasingly.

Hotaru giggled from her seat.

Haruka forced a smile, "Thanks."

Setsuna stared at the tall blonde suspiciously, expecting some type of retaliation, but Haruka just drained her glass of water before turning back to them. "I'll be back after a while."

Michiru watched her leave before staring back at the food in front of her, decidedly not hungry. She stood up, and took her plate back to the kitchen counter wrapping it, and the rest of the pancakes up for later.

"You not hungry Michiru?" Setsuna said, observing the aqua-haired woman closely.

"No, not this morning." She turned the corners of her mouth upwards. "I'll be in the studio if either of you need me."

She left the kitchen, unaware of both Setsuna's and Hotaru's concerned stares upon her back. She climbed the stairs in the living room, bypassing the series of photographs decorating the right wall. There were a few of just Hotaru; one of her as a toddler, another of her and Chibiusa, and yet another of her posing prettily by herself sitting on a swing. There was one of Usagi and Mamoru and another of the Inner Senshi. There was a photograph of herself, Haruka, and Setsuna that turned out well for all three of them that was spontaneously taken by Minako. There were a couple of her and Haruka; both photographs portraying them with contented smiles and arms about each other. The photos finished out with a shot of Haruka in her racing suit holding a trophy, one of herself, playing the violin at one of her concerts, a rare single shot of Setsuna, and finally, a photograph of their 'family.'

Michiru, who normally gazed at each picture fondly as she climbed the stairs, ignored each one.

Reaching the second floor of their house, she hung a sharp right to face another set of stairs which led to their furnished attic that doubled as her art studio. Light streamed in from the attic windows, illuminating the space. All manners of paintings lay stacked about, some finished, some left to be eternally incomplete, and some barely even begun. Sketches darted the walls were they had been pinned up. Paint drops littered the floor giving the wood a colorful and artsy scheme. In one corner, all her supplies were laid out, easels, various sizes of blank canvas and sketch paper, paints, brushes, pens and pencils, watercolors, among other things.

She changed quickly into a paint smeared T-shirt and capri pants she kept in her studio for when she was felt the urge to create. She pulled on an equally paint smeared jacket to keep the chill out and hung her sweater and skirt she had been wearing previously on the back of a chair. Her hair, she pulled back at the nape of her neck with an available tie. That accomplished, she surveyed her studio for exactly what she had an urge to do. Deciding, she ignored some of the paintings she had previously been working on and picked out a large canvas and an appropriate sized easel. She sat up under good lighting from both a window and overhead bulb and pulled a stool into position to sit upon as well.

With that, Michiru closed her eyes and let her sub-conscious and instinct take over. And she created.

Time passed. How long, she did not know. She was aware of Setsuna shouting up to her something about lunch and only vaguely remembered responding with a negative. Her mind briefly turned to Haruka at about that point, wondering what her love was doing with her day. She also thought briefly on the Senshi gathering that evening. But for the most part, all her attention, or lack of it, was paid to the canvas in front of her. And slowly, a picture started to form.

It was late afternoon, the sun dark and approaching twilight, when Michiru sat back, finished with her creation; a twinge of hunger and thirst and other bodily needs calling to her. It took a moment for her conscience to take in the painting she had created in front of her. Her eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat.

The backdrop was dark, done in heavy shades of blues, reds, and purples. In the foreground lay the unmistakable figures of Setsuna and Hotaru, hair and bodies limp, lifeless, and outlined in their planetary colors of blackish-green and royal purple respectively. Usagi as Princess Serenity, Michiru inherently knew, was a short distance away on her knees, eyes wide in the pain and fear of betrayal. There was a wilted red rose near Usagi's feet. Flanking her were splotches of four different colors, fiery red, cerulean blue, forest green, and vibrant orange, shapeless but bright against the dark backdrop. Finally to the left, standing on top of a small rise was herself and Haruka. Even though the detail to their figures was not great, more of a sketchy outline of aqua and gold, she could feel the gloating sneers and sinister eyes that their faces were set with.

Michiru felt her heartbeat heavily in her chest and she swallowed, panic rising. A few seconds of utter stillness passed, and then she acted in a flurry of motion. The easel and her creation hit the attic floor, likewise, so did her stool. Her body flew to the windowsill where she had last placed the scissors. She yanked the blades open, gripping one blade and part of the handle in her hand; the other blade free to do damage. She ignored the pain of blade digging into her skin and fell upon her painting.

She ripped into the canvas. Aqua hair slipped out of its binding, falling across her face; the blade dug deeper into her skin, a trail of blood dripping down, as she cut more and more into canvas leaving it in shreds.

She sat back panting for breath, staring at the remains of her painting. All that was left were colored strips of canvas; there was no evidence of the abomination she had created. Only the imprint in her memory remained.

"Michiru! I heard a crash, daijoubu?" Setsuna called, her voice and footsteps coming ever closer. She heard her friend begin to climb the stairs to her studio. Michiru stood, gathering herself together. She looked at the bloody scissors in her hand, and the deep, still bleeding, cut slashed on her palm and fingers. She vaguely felt the pain.

"Daijoubu…" Michiru murmured just loud enough for Setsuna to hear as the Guardian of Time appeared at the top of the steps, "I just had an accident with the scissors…"

Setsuna, long green hair fluttering about, marched over to her friend, immediately taking in the scene. "Kami-sama Michiru," She breathed, "Put pressure on it."

She grabbed a clean cloth hanging from another easel on her way over and took Michiru's hand, pressing the fabric into it. The artist watched in eerie fascination as the white cloth turned deep crimson. Setsuna's eyes, unbeknownst to Michiru, settled over her shoulder at the fallen easel and stool and the tattered remains of a painted canvas. She turned her attention back to her housemate.

"Let's get this bandaged up." Setsuna urged softly.

Michiru met her gaze, "Where's Haruka?"

"In the shower," Setsuna replied lightly pulling on Michiru's arm to get her moving, "She only got back a few minutes ago. She's been gone all day…much like you."

* * *

Haruka sighed as the hot shower water rained over her. Distantly, she heard a crash in the house, a thud from upstairs. Her eyes went to the ceiling, but she shrugged it off and settled back into her shower and thoughts of her day…trying to stay away from the images and past deeds that threatened her.

She had run so far today and so long. In the past, she had run away from something. In the past, she had run to something. Today, she ran in fear. Her steps were not light, the wind was not with her. Her feet had pounded; the wind battling, pushing against her. But she kept fighting and kept running because she was terrified of what she had done and what that made her. She ran until her legs started to ache, and the cramp in her side became unbearable, and her breath came in shuddering gasps, lungs crying for more oxygen.

And then she had stopped. She had run without a destination in mind, but somehow, some cruel twist of fate had sent her into the heart of Juuban. Fate twisted again, and as she took in big gulps of air, her hands placed on the back of her head, who should appear but her princess with the Inner Senshi. They spotted her quickly, all wrapped in winter scarves and jackets, coming out of the park immediately in front of her. She had no time to move away. She did not want to see her princess now. She could not see her princess now…

"Haruka-san! Ohayo!" Usagi's cheerful voice had beckoned as she approached with her friends.

Haruka had found herself smiling, despite how she felt; Usagi just had that effect on people.

_No…This isn't true is it? Uranus! Neptune! Why?_

Sailor Moon's pleading words, her eyes…hurt, betrayed, but sill holding so much love and immediate forgiveness.

Haruka had wanted to run.

Gods…she was so…unworthy.

"Ohayo." She struggled to keep impassive.

"We're all heading to lunch; do you want to join us?" Minako had asked. Haruka felt sick at the hope and friendliness in her voice. Didn't they know? Didn't they know what she had done? Wait…was it lunch time already?

"I…can't. I'm sorry; I got to head on home."

"Oh." Usagi appeared sad. "But I guess we'll see you tonight then!"

"Hai." Haruka said softly. "Ja ne."

She had turned and ran again. She ran through the afternoon; stopping from time to time to rest, and the daylight hours ran off. She had run in fear again. Her most sacred duty…her duty that defined her existence…to protect the princess…she had failed and she had betrayed and she had killed and now…

Why couldn't her princess see? She was not worthy of the power of Uranus, she was not worthy of her duty as a Senshi, she was not worthy of the happiness she had found. But now all she wanted was Michiru's arms around her.

Haruka turned off the shower, and dried off. She felt the sudden irreplaceable need to see Michiru. But what she had done…she would not know even how to begin. Neither had said anything about what happened. About what they had done. About what she had led Michiru to do in that split second decision. But Michiru, Michiru was still beside her and she needed to talk with her and hope to the gods for at least a fraction of forgiveness. With a purpose for the first time that day, Haruka pulled on some clothes, jeans, T-shirt, and a jacket thrown on top, and left her bedroom. She followed the murmurs of voices to the kitchen where she found her fellow Outer Senshi gathered.

Her eyes immediately fell on the blood-stained cloth in Setsuna's hand and then onto the angry cut on one of Michiru's beautiful artistic hands.

"Haruka." Michiru said softly.

Haruka purposefully moved forward, she was at Michiru's side in an instant. Setsuna, privy to her friends' emotions, placed the cut hand in Haruka's own. The blonde instinctively provided pressure to the wound. Setsuna turned toward Hotaru, who was also in the kitchen, sorting through their first aid supplies for disinfectant and bandages.

"What happened?" Haruka asked.

"Scissors. I had an accident with scissors." Michiru replied, looking upward into Haruka's eyes. "I was in my studio, and I tripped over my stool. I was holding the scissors at the time and somehow cut myself in my fall."

Haruka made a noncommittal noise and peered closely at the wound.

"Here you go Michiru-" Setsuna began, coming over to them with disinfectant, gauze, and some bandages.

"I'll do it, Setsuna." Haruka interrupted. She took the supplies from the Guardian of Time, and carefully began to treat the wound. She whispered apologies when Michiru winced, but continued to dress the injury.

"We need to leave soon for the Senshi gathering at the Hikawa Shrine." Setsuna remarked, sitting at the breakfast table, presently pouring over the newspaper. Hotaru had disappeared from the kitchen, presumably into the living room where sounds of the television could be heard.

"I'm not going." Haruka and Michiru said as one. They looked at each other in barely masked surprise.

"We're not going." Haruka amended. "You and Hotaru can go, and if anything significant comes up, you can let us know."

Setsuna's face was unreadable, but she responded evenly. "If that's what you desire. Would you like me to bring you something back for dinner?"

"No, that's okay. We'll make do with something here." Haruka responded.

Setsuna stood, folding the paper and placing it on the table. She walked to the kitchen entryway, pausing in the door frame, and turning back to her friends. "I'll tell Usagi-tachi you said hello. We'll be back after awhile."

She watched them for a moment as Haruka finished bandaging Michiru's hand, appearing as if she wanted to something more. She bit it back, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face, and went on into the living room.

"Hime-chan, are you ready to go?"

"Hai! Where are Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?"

"They're not coming; we'll see them when we get back. Grab your coat, its cold outside."

"Are they okay? Both of them-"

The front door was opened and shut before Hotaru could finish. The house was silent, the television having been turned off when Setsuna and Hotaru left, and both Haruka and Michiru did not speak.

Haruka felt sudden yet familiar weight of Michiru leaning against her.

"Haruka…" Michiru choked out. Her voice was suspiciously thick, a tone that the blonde rarely heard. Haruka wrapped her arms around her partner, supporting and soothing her. One hand rubbed her back and another went about her waste.

"Michiru, you didn't trip did you?"

"How did you know?"

"You're Kaioh Michiru. Since when have you ever tripped?"

Michiru laughed darkly. "I should have known you would be able to see through me."

Silence prevailed again; Haruka unwilling to press Michiru who was gathering herself together to speak.

"I've been dreaming lately." Michiru began enigmatically, "And I painted today. You know how I get; I zoned out completely and just let my instincts take over. I didn't know what I was painting until I finished this afternoon. Kami-sama Haruka…it was awful. I ripped it to shreds with the scissors. That's how I cut my hand; I was gripping one blade of the scissors."

Haruka kept one arm securely around Michiru, while using her other hand to take the bandaged hand. She looked down on the bandaged wound, running her thumb over it lightly.

"Michiru…Michiru, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about what happened that night; about bringing you to accept Galaxia's offer. I caused us to do some horrible terrible things; betray our princess, kill Setsuna and Hotaru; forsake our duty…all for the hope that we would get that one chance to defeat her."

Michiru drew back sharply from Haruka's embrace.

"How dare you Tenoh Haruka?" Michiru said in a cold, harsh whisper.

Haruka looked lost for words, but Michiru continued.

"Haruka no baka! I can't believe you would think so little of me. Do you think your word is law to me? We're equal. Don't think I couldn't have persuaded you differently. But I too thought our plan…our plan, Haruka…would work; that it would be the only chance to defeat Galaxia, even if it meant our betrayal and the death of our family."

Haruka caught Michiru's good hand, and pulled her against her. "Gomen Michiru, gomen."

Michiru fought against the embrace initially, but stilled as Haruka's heartfelt apology washed over her. They relaxed in each others' arms and Haruka placed a comforting kiss on Michiru's head.

"We didn't imagine our afterlife right?" Michiru whispered after a few moments. "How are we not damned?"

"I don't know. Our sins…"

"The painting I drew earlier…we were standing, sneering at a dead Setsuna and Hotaru and Usagi-chan had such a hurt expression, we caused her so much pain. Why can't I have more faith in our princess? Why can't I believe in her like the Inner Senshi?"

"We're Senshi of the Outer Solar System." Haruka reasoned, but it sounded weak to her own ears.

_Now, let us see…_

_Your Star Seeds!_

"How can Hotaru still call me Haruka-papa?" Haruka's voice broke. "I don't know how Setsuna can still look at us; much less live with us."

"Haruka…do you….do you think we should distance ourselves from everyone? We've only caused unnecessary pain to our family and to our princess…Now, I don't know how to look Setsuna in the eyes, I don't know how to be a mother to Hotaru, I don't know how to serve our princess and do our duty…

"Perhaps…shimatta!" A fist, freed from being wrapped around Michiru, was banged against the kitchen counter. "I…I…" Haruka trailed into silence.

"I'm not hungry. I'm not thirsty. I don't want to paint. I don't want to play my violin. I don't want to do anything. I don't feel as if I should do anything" Michiru murmured against Haurka.

Haruka swallowed thickly. "I understand."

* * *

"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama! We're home!" Hotaru announced, dashing into the house. She turned a full circle in the living room, finding no signs of Haruka or Michiru anywhere, but for one small lamp turned on battling the darkness of night. Hotaru turned back to Setsuna who was closing the door behind her. "Where are they?"

"Here, somewhere. Both their cars and Haruka's motorcycle were still in the driveway and garage." Setsuna replied. "I didn't see any other lights on in the house, did you hime-chan?"

"No, none from the front." Hotaru responded.

"And it's much too early for them to be asleep. Or otherwise, even for them." Setsuna said, muttering the last part to herself.

"What was that Setsuna-mama?"

"Nothing, just trying to figure out where they could be." Setsuna said before moving through the living room, heading to the kitchen. Halfway to her destination, she could see the soft yellow light associated with their backyard floodlights and porch lights through the large kitchen windows. She smiled, "Check on the back porch Hotaru."

Hotaru tore past her and out the backdoor. Setsuna followed, flipping on the kitchen and living room lights as she went before joining her other family members outside.

Haruka and Michiru sat on the steps of the porch, a rare full body space in between them. Hotaru took that initiative and claimed the space as her own. She might not have noticed, but Setsuna certainly did, that the couple flinched at the sudden close contact, breath hitching and visible in the artificial light. Both cast a wary smile at their daughter, and something about it unsettled Setsuna.

"…you missed Makoto-san's cooking tonight!" Hotaru went on about the night's events. "And Rei-san said that she still hasn't seen anything in the fire since Galaxia…"

Setsuna observed the shudder that passed through Haruka and Michiru's head turning sharply at those words. She finally spoke, "Hime-chan, let me talk to your Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama for a few minutes alone please."

Hotaru stared back at the Guardian of Time, before getting up from her seat. Setsuna directed a familiar smile at her as she walked past, holding her words until Hotaru was sequestered in the house. Failing to hear the sound of the back door opening and closing, Setsuna turned around to find Hotaru paused at the door, one hand on the handle, biting her lower lip.

"No." Hotaru shook her head, "No, I think I should be apart of this too."

The response was so calm, and sounded so reasonable that Setsuna rethought her immediate reaction to send Hotaru inside. She slowly nodded her acceptance and the girl came to stand beside her, looking at the backs of the couple in front of them. The sudden tension in the frigid night was such that she felt as if they could reach out and touch it. Setsuna cast her gaze upwards to the heavens, eyes easily falling upon the invisible location of Pluto in the clear night for a surge of reassurance.

"I see neither of you are going to explain what's disturbing you so without a little prodding on my part." Setsuna began.

"Disturbing?" Haruka's voice broke with a note of hysteria in it. "I think it's a bit more than disturbing."

"Don't you understand that both Hotaru and I are still here with you both, living together." Setsuna responded, cutting to the chase.

"Why?" Michiru said softly.

"Because I understand. And so does Hotaru."

"How can you!" Haruka suddenly roared, rising to her feet violently and clenching her fists, "We looked into your eyes! We looked into your eyes and fucking killed you!"

"Haruka! Language!" Setsuna scolded with a disapproving scowl as Hotaru stepped forward earning the three elder Senshi's attention. Setsuna watched, her eyes soft with concern and worry, a far cry from the normally aloof Guardian of Time. Michiru rose slowly, to fully face Setsuna and Hotaru, but she kept her head down, face half-shadowed by the night. And Haruka remained standing, fists still clenched in hatred and anger at her self.

"Haruka-papa, I forgive you and Michiru-mama." Hotaru began, violet eyes deep in untold wisdom that could only rival Setsuna's. "I forgave you both before you even took our Star Seeds. You made the ultimate sacrifice in order to defeat our most powerful enemy so far. I wish you both could understand that we accept what you felt you had to do."

"The world over one person…or even a few people..." Setsuna said softly. Her next words though, were cold and angry, "Of course I understand your decision! I thought you would have more respect for me and for Hotaru than what you are showing here!"

"Setsuna, I took your life away. I'm your comrade, your friend, yet I took your life away." Michiru responded with a note of self-hate.

Setsuna nearly growled, striding forward to stand directly in front of Michiru. A sharp slap echoed in the air. Both Haruka and Hotaru watched with wide eyes as Michiru's head turned from the blow, eyes closed in acceptance, and as the normally placid Setsuna lowered her hand and then brought Michiru into a fierce sisterly hug.

"I understand why you betrayed us." Setsuna whispered, emphasizing each of her words. "I understand why you killed me and Hotaru. And I forgive you."

Michiru responded to the embrace and words, and she let the built up, unshed tears fall.

Haruka watched, falling to her knees on the porch, her own eyes welling in tears. She looked at Hotaru as she felt the girl's presence suddenly beside her. "Hime-chan…"

"Don't start with me Haruka-papa."

"I've failed you so many times. So many times. And I killed you!"

"And you're my Haruka-papa. And I understand and I forgive." Hotaru responded, accepting Haruka's bone-crushing hug that followed as the blonde finally believed these words.

"Pity and self-loathing really doesn't suit either of you." Setsuna said as she and Michiru separated. Haruka likewise, pulled back from Hotaru, offering her a weak smile. And then there were more hugs exchanged.

"Setsuna-san, you're right. Pity and self-loathing aren't like either of them." The intrusion of a new voice caused both Haruka and Michiru to pull abruptly away from the familial embraces.

"Koneko-chan…" Haruka murmured. Whatever damage that had been repaired by Setsuna and Hotaru seemed to have disappeared, Michiru and Haruka both stood submissively, head bowed, eyes on the ground, shoulders slumped.

"Sorry I'm early Setsuna-san." Usagi replied standing at the bottom of the porch, "I couldn't wait so I got Mamo-chan to drive me here as soon as you and Hotaru-chan left. Nobody answered the door, so I came around back to see if you were here." She shrugged and then walked up the few steps to the porch, "Looks like I was right. And it looks like you were right to Setsuna-san."

"Koneko-chan…hime-sama…our…" Haruka tried to begin, but she lacked the words.

"We continue to fail you, hime-sama." Michiru spoke when Haruka trailed into silence, "I lacked faith in you. And it's unforgivable. Haruka and I thought that our path was the only way, that our betrayal, no matter the pain it caused, would give us the chance to defeat Galaxia. You've proved us wrong in the past, yet still, we thought our way was the best. We attacked you, hime-sama, in your darkest hour, when all seemed lost. We treated our duty like trash."

"No! You're wrong!" Usagi blushed at those words realizing what she said went right along with what Michiru had said. "I mean…you didn't throw your duty away! You protected me the best way you thought, even if it seemed a betrayal at the time. It wasn't! And that's what matters! And of course I forgive you both!"

Usagi's words and compassion always held special sway over sentient beings. This time was no exception. Haruka sunk to the porch steps, all fight out of her and weary, but relief was apparent and she relaxed. Michiru breathed deeply, and slowly sat down besides Haruka. Usagi was hugging them both in the next instant, emotional tears clouding her eyes.

"Just…next time…have more faith in me and work with us as a team. I feel as if…no…I know that I'm going to need all the Senshi united, together, in the coming years." Usagi said with conviction. She looked up at Setsuna who nodded acceptingly, one arm wrapped around Hotaru's slight shoulders.

"You deserve at least that much from us hime-sama." Michiru responded.

"Usagi-chan, please?" Usagi requested pulling back from the hug to find herself on her knees a step below Haruka and Michiru.

"Usagi-chan." Michiru replied with a beautiful smile.

"Arigato koneko-chan." Haruka added as Usagi stood up. "You know…I think we might have some leftover chocolate cake in the kitchen. Would you like some?"

Usagi's smile grew wider. "Hai!"

"Setsuna, could you and Hotaru get Usagi-chan a piece?"

"Oh! I almost forgot Mamo-chan! He's still in your driveway!" Usagi said as Setsuna ushered her inside followed by Hotaru who paused momentarily to give a smile to both Haruka and Michiru.

"Go bring him inside then…" Setsuna said; the rest of her words indiscernible as they escaped the cold inside the kitchen.

The night was suddenly quiet, but somehow, with the stars bright above and the cheerful figures inside the kitchen, Haruka and Michiru were at peace. The artist reached for Haruka's hand, who grasped it in response, intertwining their fingers. Haruka wrapped an arm around Michiru's shoulders pulling her close.

"You're shivering…" Haruka observed.

"I'm cold." Michiru smiled, which the blonde returned.

"I don't know how they forgave us, but somehow…my sins feel lighter now." Haruka said seriously.

"Usagi-chan's love, and Setsuna's and Hotaru's…I feel undeserving of their forgiveness, but somehow it's right. And now we can only proceed from here. I'm at peace." Michiru murmured, the simple last statement summing up both their feelings. They shared a kiss, one that held comfort, relief, and promises for the future.

Despite the cold, they remained outside a while longer, enjoying the calm and serenity of the night.

**Fin**

A/N: I would like to note that at the very beginning, I've seen Haruka and Michiru's dialogue at their demise done both ways. As in Haruka either says: "It's warm, Michiru." or "You're warm, Michiru." For the purposes of this oneshot, it's the latter.

Now that I've finished, and read back over it…I realize I don't really like it all that much. I feel like I missed something somewhere, but I can't figure out what.


	13. Old Men in Speedos

A/N: Alright, so this oneshot takes place before the start of the S season. Besides that, just about everything else is explained. Oh, Haruka and Michiru are totally jailbait in this. –I'm just putting that out there before you know what you're getting into.

By the way, I'm almost positive that the word kokuyou means obsidian (which I use later in this oneshot).

**Old Men in Speedos**

By Yavapai

The apartment was sleek and modern, but still homely. Plush carpet covered the living area with new furniture and up-to-date technology. The kitchen was open to the foyer and living area, decorated with marble countertops and hardwood flooring. A quick look around the apartment led to three nice size bedrooms and two bathrooms. A private balcony wrapped around from the living room to two of the bedrooms giving them an exclusive look of the city and Tokyo Bay in the distance.

"Not to shabby, huh?"

Michiru smiled, "I suppose."

"Well…do you think this one will do?" Haruka shrugged.

"I don't see why not. It's not too far from Muguen Gakuen, and it's a good location in general. Not to mention; the whole building is very private and they have a garage as well."

"There's a gym only a block away too, with an indoor pool. And…it's not all that far away from the racetrack."

Michiru's smile widened. "This does sound like a win-win situation to me."

Haruka returned the action before swiveling around and facing the sharply-dressed man in the doorway. "We'll take it."

* * *

"Bastard. The nerve of that man." Haruka growled, face and posture stiff and angry. She was gripping the steering wheel tightly and she floored the gas pedal coming out of the light, pushing far ahead of the other immediate traffic.

"Haruka, I don't think you can really blame him. How many minors do you know that can afford an apartment like that…and have guardian permission? Plus he had no idea who either of us are." Michiru reasoned, but looking slightly amused. She had one elbow propped against the convertible's door, simultaneously resting her head against her hand and keeping the majority of her hair out of her face.

Haruka finally relented, letting the indignation go. A few seconds later, she looked more sheepish than anything. She snuck a glance at her companion. "Maybe I overreacted a bit."

Michiru giggled and Haruka felt the warm, tingly desire rise up inside of her that she could only associated with the Senshi of the Seas. It didn't help matters when she felt light pressure that was Michiru's hand on her thigh.

"Only a bit Ruka-chan." Michiru replied; there was a flirtatious edge to her voice and Haruka felt herself flush.

It had been three months, three months since their first date; a total equal to 92 days, or 2208 hours, or 132,480 minutes. And a total of four months since Michiru first walked in and revolutionized her life. A total of four months of knowing each other and they were already moving in together; this was hardly normal. Of course, nothing about either of them was normal; and moving in together seemed to be a logical step in their exceptional lives. A total of four months and Haruka knew she was completely and fully in love with Kaioh Michiru.

Moving in together…Haruka was both excited and extremely nervous. Would things change? Would Michiru get tired of her? Would she unearth some strange or annoying habit of Michiru's? Certainly, things would be a lot easier for them both as Senshi. But there was just a whole other element of taking this next step in their relationship. Not to mention, they had yet to take that final physical expression of love. Haruka was terrified that by moving in together their whole relationship would just proceed into some sort of awkward dance. Plus, weren't they doing things backwards? Shouldn't they make love before moving in together? But there was also more than just a glimmer of possibility that her life could be more fulfilling than ever before if everything worked out smoothly.

Besides, Michiru was the only girl that could ever make her flush. It didn't need to be said that usually it was the other way around. Haruka knew that meant something.

"Haruka?" Michiru said sweetly.

The blonde couldn't resist turning her head toward Michiru when she used that tone. Haruka felt her heart jump to her throat, looking at her girlfriend. She wore a beautiful smile, sincere and warm, and her sea-blue eyes were sparkling in amusement.

"Nani?" Haruka asked, returning the smile and generally just thinking how lucky she was to have Michiru. She glanced back at the road to watch for traffic before settling her eyes back on her companion. Michiru's smile had widened, her eyes bright, and Haruka was beside herself on how impossibly gorgeous she looked.

"Haruka, you drove past my apartment."

"Shimatta!" Yep, that would ruin it.

Michiru's answer was a melodious laugh.

"Gomen Michiru." Haruka responded, abashed.

Michiru's laugh had settled into soft giggles, but these subsided as she noticed Haruka's sudden change in demeanor. There was a smirk playing on her lips, and her hands were gripping the steering wheel loosely. The blonde's face was set in a steely-eyed determination; a posture eerily similar to that of when she drove on the F-1 track.

"Haruka! Haruka, no!"

"Hang on, Michiru. I'll get you back to your apartment."

"The traffic!" Michiru nearly moaned.

And suddenly, the sporty convertible was shifted into a lower gear and then whipped into a U-turn in the middle of the road, cutting neatly in front of oncoming traffic. The car accelerated, easily putting distance between itself and oncoming cars. It blew past a few traffic lights, swerved through some more traffic, before slowing and pulling alongside the curb.

Haruka turned to look at Michiru who was now coolly glaring at her.

"That was completely and totally illegal." Michiru said calmly. "You could have just gone up to the next block."

"Just be glad it wasn't a one-way street." Haruka responded winningly.

"You're not even old enough to be driving."

"I know. Great, isn't it? You show those people that you can drive on F-1 and their willing to make an exception."

Michiru just sighed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you."

"I can suggest a few things." Haruka responded amorously, catching Michiru's hand in her own.

"Don't flatter yourself." Michiru responded, but she leaned over and affectionately kissed Haruka on the cheek. She then made to get out of the car, opening her door, but stopped when she felt increased pressure on her hand, still caught in Haruka's own. She turned back to look questioningly at the blonde.

"Michiru," Haruka hesitated, but she met the sea-blue eyes looking at her imploringly, "I'm glad. I'm glad we're moving in together.

Michiru smiled softly, "Me too."

Their lips met in a brief, yet tantalizing kiss; the precipice of their real feelings. They separated, mindful that they were in a very public location.

"If I sense any problems, I'll call you." Michiru said, countenance relaxed and happy, despite the serious subject matter.

Haruka brought Michiru's hand, still entwined with her own, up to her lips and placed a sensual kiss on the palm. She let the hand go, watching Michiru with bright eyes.

"There won't be any problems tonight." Haruka said convincingly as Michiru stepped gracefully out of the car. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Sleep well."

"You too Haruka." Michiru responded affectionately in a barely heard whisper.

* * *

Michiru took a knife to the taped section of the cardboard box, neatly cutting it opened to reveal the contents inside. She placed the knife on the kitchen counter, and bent down next to the box to start unpacking its contents, which included various dishes, pots, and pans. Before she could get started, she heard the front door open. She turned around, gaucho pants swishing at her knees and a few strands of aqua hair, lose from her ponytail, falling in front of her face.

"Is that the last of them?" Michiru asked, catching sight of Haruka as she entered their new apartment door with a single cardboard box in her arms.

"Yep, it's your paints."

"The third bedroom then." Michiru responded. She watched Haruka, dressed in old jeans and one of her sponsors' T-shirts, disappear down the short hallway. She smiled; a sense of fulfillment settling inside of her. They weren't even completely moved in and already…it just felt right, Haruka and herself.

Suddenly, Michiru felt it. A distant mental pressure and unsettling darkness in the back of her mind; the ocean urged, but cautioned her. A daimon or youma.

"Haruka!" Michiru raised her voice.

"Nani?" Haruka said, skidding into the kitchen

"Youma."

Haruka's eyes narrowed, "Let's go."

They left quickly, Michiru moved through the hallway to the apartment building's elevator, intent on pressing the call button, but Haruka clutched her arm, pulling her past the elevator.

"Stairs are faster." Haruka answered to Michiru's unasked question. The blonde pushed the door open, and they moved quickly, footfalls echoing in the stairwell. A few flights down, Michiru stopped her companion on one of the stair landings.

"Take that door; I'm pretty sure it'll lead out onto the roof of the connecting building." Michiru said, nodding her head in the direction of a windowless door. It was opposite of the door leading to the fifth floor of their apartment building.

"Good idea." Haruka replied, she reached out, pressing the handle down, only to find it locked. "Damn!" She jiggled the handle a few more times out of frustration. "Oh well, it was a good idea…Michiru, what are you doing? We need to go." There was a hint of anxiousness to her voice.

Michiru was peering out the small window into the fifth floor of their apartment building. Satisfied for some reason, she turned away. She then angled her head to look up the small gap in the flights of stairs and then repeated the action looking down.

"It's clear."

Haruka understood the meaning.

"Uranus Planet Power…Make up!"

"Neptune Planet Power…Make up!"

The stairwell was suddenly filled with golden and aqueous light, which tapered off leaving two sailor clad figures in its wake.

Uranus raised her leg and forcefully kicked the door open. Neptune winced as it nearly fell off of its hinges. However, the plan worked and they were now on the roof of the connecting building.

They wasted no time; the call was stronger now for Neptune and the wind was guiding Uranus. It was easy for them in these forms, something that Uranus still marveled at; they were capable of incredible athletic feats, things that were normally impossible were easy. They could run faster, even in the damn heels, they could jump higher, they could leap farther, and they could fall quite a few stories without getting a scratch. With this, they pushed themselves even faster to meet the youma or daimon. Uranus would always be the fastest, but going at Neptune's speed was still incredible.

"That door will be the perfect way to get in and out of the apartment building." Neptune remarked in mid-dash.

"We'll have to hope it's not used very often; and we'll have to be careful not to get caught coming in or out. But I think – there!" Uranus broke off in mid speech, eyes locking onto the creature in the street below.

They both drew to a sudden stop, each noticing the other sailor clad figures below.

"How are they always in the right place at the right time?!" Uranus suddenly demanded, sounding both bemused and agitated, "I don't understand it!"

Neptune just sighed. "Let's just make sure they can handle it, and if not, we can intervene. But I don't want to play out our cards out just yet, even to our little sister senshi."

Uranus huffed, crossed her arms, and sat down on sloped rooftop, watching the battle below. Neptune smiled with amusement at her partner and gracefully sat down beside her. They watched in silence for a moment as the red one, which they knew as Mars, attacked the creature; followed by the green one, Jupiter. The blue senshi, Mercury, was working away at her computer. The two blondes, the one in orange, Venus, and the other, that they came to know as Sailor Moon, circled warily, watching for an attack and protecting Mercury. Neither Uranus nor Neptune could figure out exactly who Sailor Moon was, nothing from their memory hinted at such a figure. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter were all there from the Silver Millennium, but there was nothing of a Sailor Moon.

Mercury suddenly looked up from her computer and they could faintly make out the movements of her mouth. Then the rest of the Senshi were in action and Sailor Moon delivered the finishing blow. Neptune felt Uranus sigh beside her.

"You wanted to fight didn't you?" Neptune inquired.

Uranus stiffened next to her. "What? Well…I mean…yeah…"

Neptune laughed softly. "That's okay Haruka."

"It's just, I don't know, something about it, gets the blood going and the adrenaline pumping. And I'm there beside you…and…and we work together perfectly."

Neptune was silent, but took Uranus' hand in her own, both taking comfort in the touch.

"Of course, I'm scared of what can happen in a fight…" Uranus spoke again. "You already proved to me the real dangers of what can happen in a battle the first time I saw you as Neptune. It's no virtual reality. And look at them." She pointed to the ground. Venus was limping, Jupiter was clutching her arm in obvious pain, and both could clearly see the angry red bruise on the side of Mars' face. Not to mention, all the Senshi were roughed up a bit with various scratches and bruises, but they stumbled off the scene just before emergency crews began to arrive.

Neptune remained silent, so Uranus continued. "I don't want you to be hurt again. Never again."

"Haruka. You must promise me something." Neptune finally spoke.

"Anything Michiru."

"Promise me that no matter what happens to me, that you'll continue our search for the talismans and finding the Messiah. The mission, our duty…first. Promise me." Neptune's voice was soft and in control, but entirely insistent.

Uranus looked at her partner, hearing, but unwilling to accept.

"Haruka, things are bigger than just me and you. The whole world is at stake. I know you've dreamed of the Silence."

Uranus sighed, shaking her head.

"No!" Neptune's voice took an edge, "Haruka, you have to promise! The whole world…countless of lives. It can't just be given up for us."

Uranus suddenly kissed her, hands delving into hair, arms pulling her closer. It was fierce, impassioned, and rough; and for the first time as either Haruka or Uranus, intentionally dominating and possessive. Neptune was startled at first, but she felt her partner's sudden need in response to her words.

Uranus pulled back slightly so that she was staring into Neptune's sea-blue eyes, searching for something. Apparently she found it; her voice was husky and hoarse as she spoke, "Fine. And you'll do the same for me."

"Yes." Neptune murmured in agreement.

Uranus pulled away completely and stood. She offered a hand to Neptune, who gingerly took it. The blonde pulled her companion to her feet and into her arms. This time, she kissed her much more gently, a kiss raw with strong emotions that both still found difficulty in expressing. In some ways, their relationship still felt entirely new, just like the three months they had been dating; in other ways and at other times, there was something timeless to it, something beyond the mere three months and the short amount of time they had known each other.

"Let's go home." Uranus said, as they separated and Neptune leaned against her.

They took off from the scene at a much more leisurely pace then which they arrived, but in no time at all, they arrived back to the roof of the connecting building. They found the door into their apartment building still unlocked, and after a quick glance around, they untransformed in the privacy of the stairwell.

Shortly afterwards, they arrived to their new apartment, only remembering once there that they had a lot of unpacking to do. Between the adrenaline rush to the youma and their emotional discussion, the glamour of unpacking had lost its luster. Nevertheless, they got to work; Michiru went back to finish the kitchen, while Haruka sat about adjusting and placing various things throughout the rest of the apartment. The afternoon passed by quickly and slowly the boxes emptied. Haruka finished unpacking her things first, and she found herself out on the balcony, surveying the view from their apartment. It felt good to say: _their _apartment, _their _kitchen, _their _couch, TV, food...Haruka found herself smiling, she swiveled around to look inside the apartment and just take in the fact that this was her home now; her and Michiru's home. She found herself staring at her bemused appearing girlfriend.

"What are you smiling at so?" Michiru questioned lightly, walking over to her.

"You. Us. This." Haruka gestured inside toward their apartment.

Michiru nodded and came to stand beside Haruka, looking out toward the city and the glistening Tokyo Bay in the late afternoon sun. The blonde watched her instead, until Michiru turned her attention on her. The aqua-haired girl studied her for a moment and then seemed to decide something.

"Haruka, let's go out tonight. Let's go clubbing."

"Clubbing?" Haruka's voice was incredulous. "You?"

"Well…dancing." Michiru shrugged. "I can tell, you got a lot of pent-up energy from not fighting earlier and I do to. So let's go dancing. I know there's a nightclub not to far from here, we can walk."

"Michiru, have you ever even been clubbing? You know that's not the kind of dancing you grew up learning." Haruka's face was puzzled.

Michiru looked annoyed. "Yes, I've been clubbing. I'm not entirely sheltered. I know all about the grinding, the drinking, and the smoking. But let's go. I…I want to cut lose a bit. Celebrate, you know?"

Haruka grinned, "And what exactly are we celebrating?"

"Our new apartment baka. Don't patronize me." Michiru's voice was serious, and she unconsciously adopted a pout. "Besides, this is what our peers do. I don't want to be exceptional all the time."

"Okay, okay. Why not? You are right; I do have a lot of energy left to burn even with all that unpacking. And it'll be fun. And, I'll get to dance with you." Haruka replied flirtatiously. She moved so that she was standing immediately behind Michiru, arms placed on either side of the smaller girl, holding her trapped between her body and the balcony walls.

Michiru turned away from the view and looked up at Haruka with an eyebrow raised. "Whoever said I would dance with you?"

"It comes under the rights of being my girlfriend; you have to dance with me, its law. Besides," Haruka grinned smugly, "what girl wouldn't want to dance with me."

Michiru snorted, somehow making the action seem ladylike. "Just for that, I'm not going to dance with you at all. I'll find somebody else. It won't be hard."

"Well, somebody sounds a little full of themselves." Haruka retorted with a smirk. She stared at Michiru for a moment, saying nothing else, before reach out with one hand to cup her cheek. She drew Michiru in for a kiss, pressing lips lightly together. Then she let the kiss grow more passionate, bodies drawing close together. Haruka drew back after a moment with a confident smile.

"Just remember that later tonight if you feel like dancing with somebody else." The blonde said as she walked away and back into the apartment.

"Well, somebody sounds full of themselves." Michiru mimicked sarcastically behind her. But she brought the tips of her fingers up to her lips, a soft contented smile betraying her words.

* * *

They had a late dinner before heading over to the nightclub known as Kokuyou. They made quite a pair, drawing eyes and attention. Haruka was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black top that hinted at curves, but still allowed for androgyny. Michiru had chosen a deep red shirt with a low neckline and one of her shorter skirts, navy blue with a fringed bottom. Makeup had been applied and hair fell just right even though if much dancing was done, neither of these details would survive.

They were a bit dismayed to find an extremely long line waiting for them when they arrived at Kokuyou. However, both remembered that they were relatively famous, and while oftentimes fame was more of a hassle in the pursuit of their dreams, it did have its advantages. Such as being seated first at a restaurant, and disregarding the wait line to get in at clubs. With one look at the both of them, recognition had flashed across the bouncers' faces and they were let inside.

The club was pretty impressive; a crowded dance floor in the middle, two bars along the side, and various seating strewn about along the walls and in separate lounge areas. Of course it was also dark, complete with flashing lights, with music pumping loudly and a bass that was felt more than heard. It was a bit more upscale than the average club. The decoration was top notch and the acoustics were amazing. On the dance floor, the music surrounded and engulfed, with a high ceiling and little to absorb the sound besides bodies. Off the floor however, there were lower ceilings, acoustic devices, and all the manner of decorations to mute the sound so that conversation could take place with ease over the music. Haruka briefly wondered where the VIP room was, but then realized the whole club was essentially VIP. Kokuyou indeed seemed quite popular, a scan throughout the crowded club revealed a few more minor celebrities. Most people were on darkened dance floor, a mix of people, girls with guys, girls with girls, and guys with guys. The rest were scattered about at the bars or the couple of lounging areas.

Haruka felt her hand being tugged and realized she had stopped. She looked appraisingly at Michiru who was looking back at her with one of her more seductive smiles.

"What, now you want to dance with me?" Haruka smirked, but she let herself be pulled along, all too eager to feel her girlfriend's body against hers in the pounding rhythm of the music.

Soon, they were numbered among the crowd on the dance floor and it was all to easy to remember that, despite whatever appearances, they were still young, hormonal, and just beginning to comprehend the depth of their feelings and passion. It only took but a few moments before Michiru was pressed as closely against Haruka as possible. And then it was just a few seconds later that the blonde responded with hands running under Michiru's shirt to feel the bare skin of her stomach or skirting a hand along her thigh. It was hot on the dance floor, and both had a light sheen of sweat, but neither were bothered enough to care. They were both surprisingly good at the free, sexual, and grinding dance, but they both had an innate sense of rhythm even if it wasn't particularly for this kind of music. Under most circumstances, neither really listened to this type of music, but this minute detail didn't seem to matter as the night wore on. It was the closeness and the touches that mattered, the legs interlocking, the hands running along skin, the discrete kisses to the neck or ear. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, with dry throats and tired bodies they moved off the dance floor

Haruka, with a hand at Michiru's elbow, led her toward the bar where they both gratefully sat down on the stools, anxious to get off their feet for a few moments. The bartender, an average-sized man with tattoos and a shaved head, served them ice water without even being asked. He hovered as Haruka tossed back her water, letting the cool liquid run down her throat. Michiru elbowed her to get her attention.

Haruka jolted, nearly spilling her water before gasping out, "Michiru! What?"

Michiru inclined her head toward the bartender. Haruka followed this movement and raised an eyebrow expectantly toward the man.

"Ah, Tenoh-san," He began with a husky smoker's voice, "I'm a big fan. Can I get your autograph?"

Haruka smiled winningly. "No problem. Got a pen?"

"Hai," He reached down underneath the counter, producing a pen. "Here."

Haruka signed her name on a napkin and then presented it to the bartender with a flourish.

"Arigato." He nodded his thanks and turned away, hearing somebody else call for his attention. However, he stopped and turned back to them with a half smile. "Oi, Tenoh-san. If you or your girl want anything else…just let me know."

Haruka smirked and just waved him on before turning to Michiru. "I'm more popular than yooouuuu."

"This isn't the type of place where I would generally meet fans of my music." Michiru sniffed.

Haruka just grinned, snaking an arm about her waist and placing a kiss to her cheek. "So how about it? Do you want something else to drink?"

"Hmmm…I don't know…maybe I'll – " Michiru began coyly, but was interrupted as a highly intoxicated man stumbled into Haruka. His drank, a lime green concoction, spilled all over the leg of one side of her jeans. The man stuttered out an apology as Haruka glared at him before he scurried away as best as he could.

"Shimatta…" Haruka grumbled, standing and wiping at her pant leg. She sent a disgusted look in the direction the man had tottered off towards before turning her attention back to her girlfriend. "Michiru, I'm going to go wash this out in the bathroom. I'll be back in a few; behave yourself."

"I always do." Michiru responded smiling and raising her water glass in a mock salute. She watched Haruka vanish into the crowd of people and she was content to people watch for however long her girlfriend would be gone. She turned around on the bar stool, leaning her back against the bar to stare into the dark club. Her foot was unconsciously moving to the rhythm of the current song, hey eyes following various characters. She finished her water and placed it upon the bar counter behind her, then turning her attention back into the life of Kokuyou. A few moments passed, Michiru, while people watching, was oblivious to the people watching her. She was startled when she felt a presence close by her, brushing against her, and then a second on her opposite side. However, she remained unfazed, just coolly smiling and turning her eyes toward the first presence.

It was a woman, maybe a couple of years older than her, dressed in tight jeans and a halter. She was very much a traditional Japanese beauty with long dark hair, oval face, and a clear, olive complexion.

"You're Kaioh Michiru." The woman spoke in a low purr. "I'm Sanada Keiko."

"And I'm Fujiwara Takeru." The second presence said, "I'm a fan Kaioh-san."

Michiru shifted her eyes over to the deeper, male voice. He was well-groomed and handsome. Also older than her by a couple of years, he had nice eyes and an easy smile with dark hair that fell just above his eyes. He reached for her hand, and quickly, before she could react in any way, had brought it to his lips placing a kiss on the back of it.

She kept her body facing forward, only acknowledging them with her eyes and slight turn of her head. She vaguely heard Keiko ask a question and felt a light pressure on her arm, no doubt the other woman's hand, but Michiru was focused on something else. There was a parting in the crowded club revealing Haruka near the end of the bar. The blonde was leaning casually against one of the support columns of Kokuyou. Next to her were two other females. The distance, darkness, and flashing lights obscured the details of them, but Michiru could easily see one girl cozy up next to Haruka, a hand sliding up her arm. The other girl tossed back her head in a laugh, obviously amused at something Haruka said. Michiru refused to allow herself to grit her teeth or let her eyes harden into a glare, but she felt the bitter jealously and chilling desire to "Deep Submerge" their assumingly pretty faces.

Instead, as Haruka vanished into the crowd again, Michiru turned her attention to the two beside her. Both were looking at her expectantly. First, she touched the back of Takeru's hand lightly with her fingers, including him as she leaned slightly closer to Keiko.

"Please forgive me Sanada-san, what were you saying?" Michiru asked, smiling invitingly at the other woman.

"Can I buy you a drink Kaioh-san?" Keiko said, returning the smile with a flirtatious one of her own.

"I don't see why not." Michiru murmured to which both Keiko and Takeru smiled widely.

* * *

Haruka was unsure if she wanted to smirk or grimace as she got away from the two women that had waylaid her. A few months ago she would have welcomed the attention, and she could flirt back with the best of them. Now all her thoughts went to Michiru and she merely went through the motions of flirting. She cut her way through the crowd, making her way back to the bar where she had left her girlfriend. She wondered what Michiru had been up to; she had been gone for more than fifteen minutes between the bathroom, those two women, and the other females that had randomly stopped her. She winced slightly at that, she hadn't totally lost her flirting habits.

Parting through the crowd, her eyes lighted upon her girlfriend, and she grinned. Michiru had this ability to dominate anyone's vision, and Haruka was no exception. It was something in the way she held herself and the way her hair fell in soft ringlets around her face. The aqua-haired girl was a pleasing sight to anyone's eyes, allure and elegance making her both timeless and incredibly sexy. Haruka's smile widened as she watched her girlfriend; watched her pick up a small glass and bring it to her lips. Haruka stopped in her tracks, smile vanishing and eyes widening as she realized Michiru had just tossed back a shot of some sort of clear liquor. While her brain was still trying to process that Michiru, Kaioh Michiru, had seriously just taken a shot, her eyes then fell upon the two figures beside her.

The woman had a hand placed dangerously on Michiru's thigh and the man was leaning in close to whisper something into her ear. The aqua-haired girl responded with a laugh; the man smiled and gestured to the bartender.

Haruka clenched her fists, intent on the sight before her, and ready to interrupt it. She was initially oblivious to the sudden presence by her side. But the stranger's voice bought Haruka's attention.

"Hello gorgeous. Would you like to dance?" The speaker was female, and approximately Haruka's age. She was very pretty; obviously, she was in Kokuyou, and something in her manner and voice spoke of experience.

Haruka looked back up at Michiru, noting that the aqua-haired girl was sipping some sort of mixed drink and still playing into the flirting whelms of her companions. And then, their relationship showed its three months and their true age reared, and Haruka looked down at the other girl.

"Sure."

* * *

Haruka was the first to notice them when they joined the mass of moving bodies just a few songs after she had stepped onto the dance floor with the other female. Before Michiru, she could have appreciated the sensual and sexual dance of the girl up against her. But now, she was dancing mechanically, eyes and attention all on her girlfriend. She watched her knock back another shot of liquor to add onto unknown number already taken. She watched her down the mix drink. And Haruka watched Michiru's two companions travel closer and closer to dangerous territory.

Somehow, despite the copious amounts of alcohol that had entered her system in the space of half an hour, Michiru still held herself gracefully. There was only a slight shakiness in her step that was foreign and a certain wild, uninhibited gleam to her eyes that Haruka could see when she maneuvered closer to the three.

Pride held the Senshi of the Heavens at bay. Even with the jealously and anger coursing through her veins, she could not bring herself to act. Haruka kept up her mechanical dancing; the girl grinding against her oblivious to the truth, while she was, naturally, completely focused on Michiru. The blonde was angry at her girlfriend, for completely disregarding her; her ego was damaged and her pride held her in place, but she could never abandon her sea nymph. Anger quickly shifted directions as she observed the trio dancing. And finally even her pride could not hold her back. The man, behind Michiru, nipped at her neck, arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and the woman's hand, which had been skirting dangerously along Michiru's thighs the whole time, pushed up under her skirt.

Haruka saw red. Enough was enough. Damn her pride. And damn anybody who dared to touch her girlfriend. She left the girl dancing against her confused at the sudden lack of a body.

Takeru had no chance and never knew what hit him. Haruka laid him out with a powerful punch to the jaw. The taller, heavier man fell to the ground like deadweight, knocked unconscious when his head hit the ground hard. People around them immediately scattering at the implication of a fight. Nobody wanted to get caught up in possible bloodshed. Kokuyou was an upstanding sort of club, VIP really, as Haruka originally thought. But all it took was one angry drunk or misunderstood actions and even the safest of nightclubs could look like a gang-ridden underground one.

Haruka glared down at the man, but was interrupted by slightly slurred words that still held their melodious tone and enunciation.

"Haruka, koishii!"

Haruka grunted slightly as Michiru near-flew into her. The aqua-haired girl gripped her girlfriend tightly in a hug, giggling all the while.

"You're so violent koi…you didn't have to him that hard. He just saw something he likes. You should understand; I know you like…" Michiru whispered against Haruka, one of her hands suddenly creeping under the blonde's shirt.

Haruka grabbed Michiru's hand, holding her at bay, before sending a glare to Keiko. "I don't hit women, but if you touch my girlfriend again I'll make an exception."

Keiko looked like she was going to make an angry retort, but the bouncers arrived before anything could be said and she disappeared into the crowd. Luckily, the intoxicated Michiru was content to cling to Haruka as she put the bouncers at ease. Yet again, she was thankful for their slight celebrity status; it gave her a bit of leeway. She simply told them that the man had taken advantage of her girlfriend. With a few apologies and charming words, the whole incident was shrugged off. The bouncers dissipated with an unconscious Takeru in tow and the dance floor returned to normal, repopulating quickly.

"Ruka-chan…let's dance." Michiru said against her.

"No, we're going home." Haruka replied, looking down at the aquamarine head. "You're completely trashed, how much did you drink?"

Michiru looked up at her, face furrowed in concentration, "Um…well…five shots…and the pretty mixed drink…hehe…"

"In the space of thirty minutes…damn…come on, let's go home."

Michiru looked crestfallen still wanting to dance, but her face slowly brightened. "Ara, I understand now koi."

The blonde was not sure how to interpret that statement or Michiru's tone, but nevertheless, she led her through the crowd and toward the exit.

* * *

Haruka opened the door, happy to make it home to their new apartment. The distance between Kokuyou to their apartment was only about a block and a half, but it was a bit more difficult with a slightly less graceful and easily distracted Michiru. She wore a silly grin on her face that told Haruka that she was not all there as she led her girlfriend toward the couch in the living room. Haruka sat her down on the couch, and Michiru promptly leaned into, looking exhausted for a moment and closing her eyes. Haruka bit her lip as she stared down at her intoxicated girl. She was still angry, but now worry and concern were overriding her agitation.

"Michiru, do you feel nauseous?"

Michiru giggled, opening her eyes. Her stare was wide and a bit unsettling, the normal sea-blue color appearing washed out and grey. "Nauseous…what a funny word…nah…shush. I don't think you used it correctly. Nah…shush. How about…nah…zee…ate…ted…nauseated?"

Haruka squatted to get eye level with Michiru. "Michiru. Michiru, look at me. Do you feel sick at all? Like you need to throw up?"

"Nope! I'm fine. Fine as wine! Say Haruka, do we have any wine?" Michiru looked around wildly.

Haruka sighed and sat back on her heels before standing up. "I'm going to get you some water and some crackers. You're bound to be dehydrated and hungry after all that dancing and drinking."

She was about to walk off to the kitchen when a hand clenched around her wrist causing her to stop in her tracks.

"Haruka…" Michiru's tone had completely changed; her voice now more of a seductive melody. "When are we going to do it?"

Haruka froze, mind going blank, trying to process the words.

Michiru stood, seemingly composed, still grasping Haruka's wrist. She sidled up next to the blonde, pressing their bodies close together. Haruka gulped, she wanted to pull away, but she was caught in the other's intensity.

"I'm here Haruka. Just for you. Hot, just for you. Let's do it, Haruka."

She found her voice, "What?"

Michiru giggled, "You know what."

Haruka suddenly felt Michiru's hand right _there_. The blonde's thoughts were running a mile a minute as her intoxicated girlfriend pressed her hand and her body closer. Haruka could barely help herself as their lips met. Michiru's kiss was far from its normal sweet taste; instead it was tinged with the sour and bitterness of liqueur. It felt dirty, but Haruka could not immediately reign in her libido; the kiss deepened even as her mind raged at her to stop. The heat spreading through her body and her girlfriend's pale skin were too seductive, and Haruka found herself trailing kisses down Michiru's neck. She felt hands at her jeans, attempting to work the buttons and suddenly the world came back into a sharp focus. Haruka pulled back, keeping Michiru an arm's length away, holding her at the shoulders.

Michiru looked at her confused, "Haruka…" She whimpered reaching back out to the blonde. It was hard, but Haruka held her ground.

And she knew one very important thing. This was what she wanted, but not how she wanted it. Their first time was going to be something special. Not some drunken hookup because Michiru didn't know any better in this state and Haruka couldn't control her libido.

She spoke calmly after a moment. "Michiru, I'm going to take you to your room."

Michiru smiled at that, running a finger up Haruka's arm. "And are you going to join me?"

"First, let's get you to your room." Haruka avoided the question, and then gently, but firmly took her girlfriend by her arm.

Whatever grace and composer the intoxicated Michiru had shown just seconds before seemed to disappear. She stumbled against Haruka and giggled, running a hand along their hallway wall to help orient herself as the blonde led her closer to her bedroom. The Senshi of the Heavens pushed Michiru's door open to reveal a tasteful bedroom with off-white walls and aqua-color themed decorations. She led her girlfriend to her bed, sitting her down before going over to the cherry wood dresser. Haruka blushed briefly as she inadvertently opened a drawer containing an array of undergarments. Instead of pilfering through the rest of the drawers in search of a nightgown or camisole or any manner of sleeping garment, she pulled a T-Shirt out of the next drawer she opened.

Michiru's eyes were slowly closing and opening; Haruka could tell she was on the verge of passing out in a drunken haze. She breathed a sigh of relief too when it seemed her girlfriend had already forgotten her previous ideas.

Haruka kneeled down in front of Michiru, placing her hands on her girlfriend's knees to focus her attention. "Here, put this on. You'll be a lot more comfortable."

Michiru gazed at her blankly for a moment, but then took the offered T-shirt and immediately began to struggle out of her halter top. Haruka stood up and out of the way, looking away in respect for her girlfriend's privacy as her cheeks inadvertently reddened. Luckily, Michiru was able to lose the halter top and put on the T-shirt quickly, and when the blond looked back she couldn't help but blush more when she realized Michiru had also dropped her skirt and stood only in the T-shirt and underwear.

The intoxicated girl suddenly seemed to focus solely on Haruka, coming out of her haze, and the blonde gulped recognizing the drunken gaze of desire from just minutes before.

"Control, control, control...control yourself Tenoh!" Haruka whispered to herself fiercely. She needed to remove herself from this situation. She took a step back as Michiru took a step forward. This action was repeated.

"Harukaaaa, where are you going koi?" Michiru said, her words only slightly slurred.

"I'm, I'm, I'm….I'm going to get you some water." Haruka laughed nervously. "Why, don't you sit down on the bed while I'm gone." She struck a smile, her hand darting behind her head in a display of nervousness. "Feel free to lie down."

With that, utilizing her skills of speed and agility, Haruka was out of the bedroom in a flash, closing the door behind her. Upon the reaching the kitchen she leaned against the counter, sighing in a mixture of relief and something else she couldn't really identify. Yet still she felt the phantom hands and kisses of Michiru. She wanted to take that final step, but it went with out saying that it wasn't supposed to be this way. She walked over to the kitchen sink, turning on the facet. She cupped her hands under the stream of water, allowing the liquid to pool there. She splashed her face with the water, slowly feeling much more in control of herself.

Giving it another moment, she opened one of the kitchen cabinet doors, finding various plates and serving dishes. She picked another, and success, found where Michiru had stored the glasses. She filled the glasses and then searched around where she knew her girlfriend had stored the basic medicines and first aid. Success again; she found the bottle of Ibuprofen. Haruka took out a couple of pills, just in case Michiru had a rough hangover in the morning.

With the glass and pills in hand, Haruka walked back to Michiru's room. She opened the door slowly, and breathed yet another sigh of relief as the figure of a sleeping sea nymph curled up on her side met her eyes. Haruka walked in softly, and placed the glass and pills on Michiru's bedside table. She backed away, but stilled as she continued to gaze at her girlfriend. Her hair fell in front of her face and about her shoulders and the T-shirt moved with the rise and fall of her chest. Haruka allowed herself to glance over the slight bit of smooth skin of Michiru's stomach showing from where her T-shirt was bunched up, and then down over the black panties, and the contrasting pale perfect legs. Haruka found herself moving in closer, kneeling next to the bed, a smile playing over her lips. Gently, she reached out, and brushed the strands of aqua hair falling across Michiru's face. She sat back on her heels, heart filling with warmth to see her girlfriend's face relaxed, and the drunken haze lifted into sleep.

Haruka stood up, walking out of the room. She paused in the doorway, looking back toward Michiru once more before turning off the light and closing the door behind her.

* * *

With a rather undignified groan, Michiru opened her eyes. She squinted at the bedside alarm clock and groaned again, rolling onto her back, a hand going across her eyes. Her mouth felt like a thick bitter, sour paste. She turned her head to the side to look at the clock again, this time actually noting the time as a little past noon. Her eyes fell on the glass of water, and she let the rush of memories from last night take over.

She sighed out a rare curse word, and then sat up. She felt disgusting, and desperately needed a shower. Luckily for her, she was without a headache or any leftover nausea. She drained the glass of water before standing, taking the pills just in case, and sending silent thanks to Haruka. Thinking of her girlfriend, sent a wave of shame at the position she put her into last night…all because of simple thought of jealously.

Michiru wasn't a stranger to alcohol, but she had never ingested so much before. Enough to get her…completely trashed. She breathed deeply, and decided to immediately to find Haruka.

Walking out of her bedroom, she heard the faint sounds of the television. She found Haruka sprawled on the sofa, clad in a T-shirt and striped boxers.

"Hi." Michiru said softly.

Haruka looked up from the television, and upon seeing Michiru, sat up on the couch. "Hi."

A flash of uncertainty crossed Michiru's face and silence reigned between the two, neither sure of how to proceed.

"Did you-"

"Haruka, I-"

Haruka laughed as they both spoke the same time. Still seeing Michiru's uncertainty, she patted the sofa next to her. The aqua-haired girl accepted the invitation, sitting next to Haruka stiffly. The blonde remained patient, waiting for Michiru to speak.

"I'm sorry about last night, putting you in such a situation." Michiru finally spoke; her uneasiness was clear.

Haruka cracked a smile. "How about we make a rule then? No drinking copious amounts of alcohol…without clearing it with each other first."

Michiru relaxed leaning back into the sofa, relief evident. Haruka wrapped an arm around her, content upon realizing that they avoided having their relationship descend into the awkward dance she was so afraid of.

"You're so juvenile; of course you would leave the option of alcohol still open."

"Hey now, my quote is," Here Haruka adopted a serious expression, looking at Michiru in a dead stare, "'Remember, don't drink and drive'…and some sort of sponsor bullshit I can't recall at the moment. There's nothing in there about just plain drinking."

"No need to be so callous. You, as the 'cool new role model,' have to teach the youth of Japan about the evils of alcohol…at least while driving."

"Well, at least we know what kind of drunk you are Michiru."

Michiru's pale and normally composed face seemed to catch fire as she blushed. She stood up, out of Haruka's one-armed embrace. "We can move past such a topic now. I'm going to go take a shower."

Haruka watched her go, eyes falling on the expanse of leg shown beneath the T-Shirt. She grinned wickedly and called after her, "Michiru is a horny drunk!"

Michiru paused, and then whirled around to face the blonde, coquettishly saying, "You certainly weren't complaining," before disappearing down the hallway.

Haruka smiled to herself as she heard the water running only a moment later. She laid back down on the couch, arms resting beneath her head. Her smile widened as she realized that the events of last night had successfully been diffused into a joke between them. It could have been just the opposite. Her thoughts drifted to the events of yesterday and her smile vanished as she thought of the promise she had swore to. Turning onto her side, she stared listlessly at the television, mind elsewhere. She be damned if things came to that, but she promised, and Haruka knew her duty. She sighed and let her thoughts turn to Michiru…

"Shimatta!"

Haruka cursed, trying to shake the feeling of her girlfriend's kisses and hands. She had been so close! Her thoughts only turned to the perfectly sculpted legs, which were presently in the shower. This led to an image of Michiru dripping with water, beckoning her with a finger.

"Aw hell…" Haruka groaned, mumbling to herself, "Think men in swimsuits! Think old men in Speedos…think old men in Speedos…think old men in Speedos…eww, nasty…"

She sighed, and focused on the television.

It was only a week later upon waking in her bed with Michiru nestled in her arms that Haruka realized she would never have to think about old men in Speedos again.

**Fin**

A/N: So what did we learn today?

Yes, that's right. Michiru is a horny drunk.

I hope that besides that little scene, Haruka and Michiru remained in-character. Unfortunately, there's not a canon drunk Michiru for me to base mine off of so I just went with what I got.

And I admit, the whole premise was a bit cliche, but hell, it was fun.


	14. Weakness

A/N: Sorry for the delay…it's the usual spiel…finals, college, life, blah blah blah. The good news is…I'm home for the summer! Hopefully, I'll have time to actually write. I know this is short…but I hope you enjoy. Thank you for the continuous support!

**Weakness**

By Yavapai

The red light was eerie, casting more shadows and darkness than actual light. She found it hard to breathe too, and the fear…the fear was the worst. It was deep and cold, like the bottomless ocean that was supposed to comfort her as her element. It caught in her heart, her throat and it made her whole body shake. And as the dark figure appeared, letting out one shiver inducing laugh before the Silence took over; there was no lit figure that gave her hope – no Messiah, no Senshi of Uranus - just the dark figure, the anti-Messiah, the one of silence.

She could only stand there as the Silence ripped into the world noiselessly, throwing the only previous noise, the malicious cold laugh, away. She knew she had to do something, anything, but the deep seated fear locked her down, refused movement and all thought but of meeting the Silence. To know there was something she could do, yet to lack the ability, the strength, to carry it out only made it all the worse.

Just as Silence reached her, promising its repressive, smothering macabre embrace, she was plunged into her fear. She struggled briefly, suddenly finding the will to move, before realizing she was in her element. She kicked and surfaced only to find herself in a gray featureless landscape. Her eyes immediately focused on the six lifeless figures in front of her, not understanding, not comprehending that it was Senshi, those like her, yet not like her. The Inner Senshi strewn about, bloodied and broken on gray land. As she felt bile rise in her throat where fear had previously lodged itself, the sixth figure rose. She stumbled backward, no sign of the grace she normally composed herself with; a scream rose unbidden as unsettling green eyes focused on her. The normal strong figure was stooped, the full blonde hair as gray as the landscape. A twisted, mad grin played on the face and clutched in the bloody hands were five shining heart crystals.

"Look koibito! The Talismans!" The figure said with her voice maniacal.

Five Talismans! Her mind screamed at her. It was all wrong. Everything was wrong. The dead Senshi, the figure who was not her lover…

Things spun into madness and she emerged this time in a normalcy; sounds and sights and people and her lover standing next to her all on an unnamed stretch of road. She reached out to touch her lover, reassuring herself with the soft, warm skin and the confident aura. And her partner turned to look at her, giving her a beautiful smile.

Then all of their surroundings silenced. Her lover spun wildly, but she felt the vacancy and the hopelessness associated with the Silence. The dread and the fear rose in her even as she turned. Everything around them had vanished and the noiselessness was deafening. She turned again to her lover in panic.

She was met with the dark figure, the Messiah of Silence, pushing a familiar gleaming sword into her partner's body. Her lover dropped to the ground wordlessly; there was no blood, even as the sword remained upright inside the dying body.

She took one step, two steps toward her soul mate, but froze on the third as she felt a whispering of the Silence graze her. The dark one held up a mirror, and her own gaze could not help but turn to its polished surface. The mirror consumed her, and inside she saw life die.

The Silence was empty and cold…so, so cold.

A bloodless massacre.

Haruka was dead and that tore her soul more than the rest of world.

And Michiru woke with a gasp.

She quickly fought to control her rapid breathing, but could do nothing for the tears welling immediately welling in her eyes. The darkened bedroom started to come into focus slowly, and she swallowed back her tears only to be assaulted with images of her dream.

She took in a rough breath, the air scraping against her throat and she turned over, searching for Haruka's warmth.

Haruka wasn't there and Michiru felt the slight panic and terror of before rising. She wanted to whimper, to sob, to scream, to call out, but none of these were actions of Kaioh Michiru. Instead, she shifted her body over into Haruka's side of the bed and curled into a ball, trying to envision her partner and not the horrific scenes of her vision turned nightmare.

So focused she was on trying to battle away her nightmare that she didn't notice the light footsteps and the bedroom door opening then shutting softly. She didn't hear her name voiced or the concerned question that followed it, but she did feel the warm hand at her shoulder and the body leaning over her.

Michiru let out a shuddering breath at the touch and sudden presence, turning her head to look at Haruka.

"Michiru, koi, you're shaking." Haruka said worriedly. "You're…you're crying."

She reached out a hand slowly, cupping Michiru's cheek and using her thumb to wipe the tears away. Michiru smiled and let out a small pained choke of laughter.

"I am."

At that response, Haruka wordlessly climbed into the bed, getting close as possible and wrapping her figure around the smaller one.

"It's okay. Nobody is here, but me. And you don't always have to be strong for me, for the both of us. I can be strong too." Haruka said softly, her voiced hushed into a whisper.

Michiru swallowed thickly and closed her eyes tightly, nodding her head. Her sobs were soundless, just her body quivering and the streaks of tears. She comforted herself into the living warmth of Haruka, trying to focus herself with the life of her partner; the beating heart, the breath at her neck, the arm curled tightly around her. Eventually, the sobs subsided, turning into a few sniffles and Michiru turned around in the embrace. She let her eyes meet Haruka's in the darkened room.

"Do you want a glass of water? That's where I was earlier…" Haruka said, bringing her hand to Michiru's cheek to wipe the remaining tears away.

Michiru caught the hand in her own, interlocking their fingers tightly together. She shook her head against the pillow, signifying her answer.

"Don't leave me…" Was that her voice? That broken, desperate sound? That wasn't Kaioh Michiru, Sailor Neptune.

Haruka heard more than just a response to her question in that answer and brought Michiru closer, tucking her head under her chin and wrapping her arms that much more tightly. But beyond that, she didn't know what to do. Never had she seen Michiru more frayed, more shaken than now, and it scared her.

Michiru clenched at Haruka's pajama top, an old white tank top, gripping the material tightly in her hands. She let herself obsess over the living, breathing Haruka; so unlike the Haruka in her dream.

The dead Haruka.

Dead.

Dead. **Dead.** _Dead._

It was so final.

Her heartbeat was strong, her breath steady, her body warm. Haruka was alive.

Presently.

Her voice broke Michiru's thoughts; tentative, comforting, loving. "Tell me Michiru."

"A nightmare Haruka. It was only a nightmare. A vision gone awry."

"A nightmare, huh?"

"That's all."

"Tell me."

Michiru fell silent.

"Michiru…you aren't weak. And even if you are a Sailor Senshi, you're still human. Whatever you saw in this nightmare…it obviously is no easy thing to brush off because I know you. My guess if it was any other nightmare, even the second worst you can to compare this to, you would brush it off like you have with so many other things. You're so strong Michiru…so composed…it's okay to show your fear every once and while. At least you can show it to me without having to worry. I can shoulder your fears like you do for mine."

Haruka's voice and words, soft and soothing, its low tone comforting her, allowed her to finally relax.

"Do we stand a chance? A chance of saving the world? When she laughs and she looks at me, I can't move, I can't react, my body seizes in fear. How can I battle that?"

"With me."

"When she turns you mad, when she kills you..."

Haruka's hand gripped Michiru's harder. "You'll find a way. You're resolute, you're strong."

Silence fell between the two before Michiru spoke again her thoughts on the dark one in her dream and the dead Haruka.

"Haruka…I don't think I can win this battle."

"Don't let the darkness haunt you, don't let the visions, the nightmares rule your life. Besides, good guys always win in the end."

"Are we good…sometimes I wonder…Sailor Moon and the others…?"

"We're good, Michiru. If nothing else…what we have is good."

Michiru felt the tears in her eyes and the uncomfortable sobs building in her throat, her words were unsteady, but thoroughly sincere. "I love you Haruka, so much."

Unseen by Michiru, Haruka smiled, happy at those words even in the somber, heartbreaking mood of the bedroom. "I love you too."

"Don't leave me." Michiru whispered.

In the dark hours before dawn, she allowed herself the weakness none would ever see except for Haruka, always beside her.

**Fin**

A/N: That's it. Not much to say here. Reviews, of course, are always appreciated.


	15. Tales From the Media

A/N: I use the word youma in the purest sense of the term, meaning monster. I supposed I could have gone with yokai (demon), but youma is more…Sailor Moon. Anyway, I just needed some generic monster creature things so I used that.

Please see below for a very important author's notes...it's nothing life threatening, but it's important to me at least.

**Tales from the Media**

By Yavapai

Michiru let out a rather unladylike yawn as she walked into the kitchen and paused, lifting her arms above her head in a stretch. Her eyes were squinted with sleep and the bright light intruding from the morning sun into the kitchen. She was still clad in her pajamas, a light robe over her silver spaghetti strap nightgown and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun at the base of her neck. Her nose twitched slightly as she brought her arms down.

"That coffee smells marvelous." Her voice was still thick with sleep.

"Ohayo Michiru. There's plenty in the pot." Setsuna responded, dressed in her own pajamas consisting of light cotton pants and a camisole. She turned around at the stove top to give Michiru a smile. "And pancakes here too."

"You're a goddess." Michiru responded picking up a mug and filling it with coffee at the kitchen counter.

"Well, yes. Technically I am, but mortal standards."

"Setsuna, it's too early to invest in wordplay. I can't believe you're awake already anyway."

"Hmmm…just felt like greeting the day today."

Michiru narrowed her eyes at her housemate, who only smiled in return.

"Pancakes?" Setsuna asked holding out a stack.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing. Take some pancakes, they're perfect…a little crispy around the edges and all fluffy in the center."

Michiru, seeing no reason to argue with that kind of logic, took the pancakes and sat down at the breakfast table along with her coffee.

"So...is Haruka still in bed?"

"Yes, that lazy bum." Michiru smiled.

"Lazy bum? Michiru, you're cruel." Haruka announced coming into the kitchen looking considerably fresher than Michiru did during her own entrance.

"You kept kicking the covers down last night, I got cold." Michiru said pointedly, taking a sip of her coffee.

Haruka, in her striped boxers and white tank top, only strode over to Michiru and kissed her briefly.

"What I wasn't enough of a blanket for you? You know you laze around in bed more often than I do." Haruka smiled. "Ohayo, by the way. You taste like Setsuna's wonderful coffee."

"Thank you Haruka." Setsuna called. "There's plenty in the pot and I'm making your pancakes right now."

Haruka shot Michiru a look as she filled her own coffee mug. Michiru just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

"Setsuna, you feeling alright?" Haruka questioned.

"Of course." Setsuna responded brightly. "Ara, but could you go outside and get the paper while your pancakes finish? I haven't gotten to it yet."

Haruka grumbled good-naturedly, took a sip of coffee, and left the kitchen. A second later, they heard the front door slam.

Michiru dug into her pancakes and made a noise of contentment that unknowingly harmonized with Setsuna's own humming as she worked over the pancakes.

"Michiru, can you turn on the news?" Setsuna suddenly asked, breaking the companionable silence as she shifted a pancake over to an empty plate.

Michiru swallowed her pancake and noticed the remote placed right beside of her. She picked it up with a sense of foreboding, shooting Setsuna a glance. The other woman had turned her attention completely toward the pancakes, still suspiciously humming a nameless tune. Nevertheless, Michiru pressed the little red power button and watched the kitchen television blink to life.

"-and that's today's weather. Now we go to Natsume-san with the daily Sailor Senshi report." The weatherman gave a smile as the camera switched to the side desk of Natsume Megumi who made their morning news the leading program in Tokyo with her Sailor Senshi report.

Michiru shot another glance at Setsuna. This was all too much of a coincidence, the timing was too perfect. But she turned her attention back to Megumi who just started on her report.

"Last night proved quite active for the Sailor Senshi. All were accounted for in a furious battle in Odaiba versus a highly empowered madman, his equally crazed subordinates, and his robotic plant-like mutant creatures. The battle was fierce, but fortunately for all it took place in an open plaza and thruway resulting in little damage. And due to the quick response of the Sailor Senshi, there were only a few injuries and no casualties. You can view clips of what was caught of the battle on a special hour long episode _The Senshi Files_ tonight at 8:00 pm. You can view the full unedited version of the battle as caught by the surveillance cameras and dedicated cameramen in a new episode of _The Senshi Files Fight_ at 11:00 pm. It should also be available online tomorrow on _The Senshi Files _website."

It was more of the same old, same old. Haruka had said many times before that she thought they should get paid for providing the cable network some of its highest-rated programs. Michiru was willing to brush off her previous thoughts of non-coincidences, until Megumi grinned almost gleefully and spoke a very distinctive "however." And for some reason, Michiru felt her stomach drop.

"However, this is not the biggest news concerning the Sailor Senshi. An amateur photographer who was on the scene at the end as the Senshi subdued the madman caught quite an amazing photograph that has been making waves on the internet since it was posted late last night."

The photograph replaced Megumi on screen. It was only on for a few seconds at most and Michiru wondered what was so special about it. It was a little unfocused and slightly skewed. The foreground depicted Sailor Saturn kneeling over an injured young man, with deep purple energy at her finger tips as she healed him. Sailor Mercury was standing by her, paused in working at her computer as she looked at Saturn. Some distance behind them showed Sailor Mars, a fierce scowl on her face as she glared down at the madman, and Sailor Jupiter, whose back was to the camera. Sailor Venus could be seen on the right hand edge of the photograph, caught in mid-walk. While even farther back, Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, and Sailor Pluto could be seen standing close together, obviously talking about something.

All in all, it was an unremarkable photograph.

Michiru took another bite out of her pancakes.

She realized suddenly as Megumi's smiling face reappeared that Setsuna, who had most likely logged onto the internet before going to bed, knew exactly what was going on – if what Megumi said earlier was true.

She swallowed her pancake with some difficulty.

"Did you see it? Let's have another look." Megumi said.

Michiru was filled with a sense of dread at those words and at the fact that her and Haruka were not originally seen. As the picture came back she suddenly knew. She watched in increasing despair as Megumi talked and the photograph was zoomed in upon.

"Look to the left and far back, in the darkened part of the alleyway entrance."

The picture became grainier as it zoomed in, but the depiction could still be seen clearly enough. Then the studio had to activate their computer imaging, magnifying the depiction and refining it into a higher definition.

Michiru groaned.

"No, you aren't seeing things Tokyo. That is Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. _Kissing. _What exactly does this mean? Watch _The Senshi Files_ tonight at 8:00 to find out what some of our experts and guests have to say on this development. This is Natsume Megumi with your Sailor Senshi Report and the leading Tokyo Morning News signing off."

Michiru flipped off the television with the remote and the kitchen was suddenly quiet. With elbows propped on the table, she buried her face in her hands, aware of Setsuna's heavy stare on her.

She suddenly couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Kami-sama…" She breathed out. "I don't even want to think about what's going to happen now. This whole thing is going to be a mess."

Setsuna, who also couldn't help herself, grinned at the stove top as she finished the last of Haruka's pancakes, pleased to see that Michiru was taking it about how she that she would. Now that only left…

They both heard the front door slam and Haruka's steps trudging (trudging!? Haruka?) through the house and into the kitchen.

"Michiru…ahem…you see…" Haruka laughed uncertainly as she appeared in the kitchen. One hand clenched the newspaper, the other she used to run through her short hair in a gesture of apprehension. Lacking the words, Haruka held out the paper. Michiru could clearly see the photograph decorating the front page.

Setsuna chose that moment to bustle over with a stack of pancakes, and forced the plate into Haruka's hands. She swiveled back around to finish making Hotaru's pancakes for when she awoke.

"Haruka, sit down and eat your pancakes." Michiru said levelly at Haruka's bewildered expression.

Haruka obeyed the command, nearly missing the exasperated amusement in the sea-blue eyes, and sat the paper besides her plate on the table.

Silence reigned in the kitchen except for Setsuna's humming. Haruka furiously went at her pancakes, ignoring Michiru's eyes on her. Setsuna joined them at the breakfast table minutes later with her own pancakes and a fresh cup of coffee.

Haruka swallowed and then spoke, unable to take the silence anymore; her voice was defensive. "This isn't my fault for you know."

Michiru looked up from her coffee mug. "Are you saying it's mine?"

"No." Haruka's voice was indignant.

Any further comment was interrupted by the sounds of Hotaru's footsteps coming down the stairs. A moment later, the dark haired girl, clad in her own pajamas with slightly mussed hair appeared.

"Mmm, pancakes?"

"Yours are on the counter Hotaru-chan." Setsuna replied with a smile.

Hotaru quickly poured herself some juice and grabbed her plate before heading over to the breakfast table. She glanced curiously at her parental figures as she sat down.

"What's going on?" She questioned.

Michiru wordlessly reached over and handed the paper to her.

"I hate the media." Haruka grumbled.

* * *

"It was our anniversary! That deranged bastard had to go all lunatic on our anniversary!" Haruka raved, pacing back and forth in front of the assembled Sailor Senshi. "I had it all planned out! There were flowers and music and candles! We were in the middle dinner and then after that we were supposed to go dancing! Then we were going to take a walk through the park and I had the most perfect gift ever! And then of course there would have been the perfect ending to it all! You know, the most amazing s-"

"Okay! Okay, Haruka." Michiru interrupted.

She reached up and caught Haruka's wrist as she passed by and pulled her down beside her onto one of the cushions.

"He ruined it." Haruka grumbled at her seat, crossing her arms childishly.

"Haruka-san, we never asked for an explanation…" Makoto ventured hesitantly.

They were gathered at the Hikawa Jinja. Everyone was accounted for including Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis. All were dressed in lightweight, summer clothes accounting for the afternoon heat and bright sun. It was warm, and there wasn't much of a breeze passing through the open doorway.

Rei was on the steps outside in her robes, forever brushing away at the porch. Setsuna also lingered outside with the two cats, all three enjoying the sun despite the heat. The rest were all gathered inside the room, sitting and standing.

The Outer Senshi had only just arrived, and Haruka had immediately jumped into her rant as Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna settled themselves into their current positions, while the others could only stare at the indignant blonde.

Minako was currently reading the paper, holding it up in front of her as she finished reading the front page story inside. The front page photograph mocked Haruka and Michiru as she held it up, unknowingly angled in their direction. Minako suddenly closed the paper as Makoto words trailed off. She studied the photograph, biting her lower lip in thought as her brow furrowed; all signs of intense concentration.

"What am I doing in this picture?" She wondered aloud. "That's such a bad angle for me…"

The others glared at her in response. Haruka's eyes were especially smoldering and Michiru only smiled, a little too serenely. Minako gulped.

"Hehe…" She laughed uncertainly, a hand darting behind her head, scratching at it sheepishly. "I mean…at least it's a good picture of you two! On the Aino Minako Passionate Kiss Rating System©, I give it an eight out of ten! And I rarely give above a six."

She finished her short monologue with a bright smile and her trademark victory sign.

During the gaping pause that followed Minako's announcement, Ami, who had been at her computer the entire time, gave a sudden squeak and gracelessly toppled over to the floor. Luckily, she was already sitting down so it wasn't that hard of a fall, except for the fact that her computer went with her. She managed to save it from crashing to the ground as well, but it in her efforts, it slipped out of her hands, swiveling on the wood floors around to face the rest of the group who turned their gaping from Minako to the computer screen.

Despite the small screen, the rest of the room's occupants could make out its contents. It appeared to be some type of forum; the background was done in royal blue with aquamarine highlights.

**uranus'n'neptune: **l1ke zomg!1!1!1!11! urnus n neptun r so hawt!1!1!111! i think tht their the b3stest cople evaaaaaaa!1!1!1! w00t!11!

**windluver: **Sailor Uranus is mine! Neptune is such a slut!

**S3nshi: **This is so fucked up

**SailorEarth: **Uranus and Neptune…all your base are belong to us

**UNlovechild: **THEY'RE TOTALLY GOING TO REPLACE HARUKA-SAMA AND MICHIRU-SAMA AS THE LESBIAN POSTER CHILDREN

**SailorScout: **This is sick! They're fricking cousins!

**Fuku: **Alright, sorry about the backlog. In case you don't know, I'm the webmaster of the site and thus the chief moderator of the forum. I just finished switching over to an infinitely bigger server, hopefully to accommodate the rapidly growing size. I started this website last night with after first seeing the picture and just twelve hours later, it's numbered in the thousands. Official rules will be up tomorrow, but let me go ahead and clear a few ground rules first with regards to some of the above posts. Avoid the leet talk, don't post in all caps, and watch your language. And hey! This is a website and forum celebrating the love between Sailors Uranus and Neptune, so windluver, S3nshi, and some others…fix it or leave.

SailorEarth…don't even go there.

And as for SailorScout…wtf are you smoking?

A couple of more things…I'm looking for lots of help to make this website perfect, email me or any of the other already appointed moderators...

There was silence as all gradually inched closer to the small computer as they read the screen. Rei and Setsuna had also come in from outside, perturbed and curious as to the sudden silence in the room.

"Ami-chan, everything okay?" Rei took the time to ask as she observed the scene, noticing Ami twitch on the floor.

"I'm fine now. I had an allergic reaction to the gross misspellings and general disregard to human intelligence." Ami replied. She placed her palms to the floor and pushed herself to an upright position.

She took a moment to shake her head and then moved to crowd around the computer with the others.

"Ami-chan, what is this?" Usagi asked.

"That," Ami said pointedly, "Is one of the many Uranus and Neptune internet shrines that have been founded in the past twelve hours. That one is one of the first and most popular ones. The specific page you're looking at is the forum."

Haruka visibly recoiled, drawing back from the group, while Michiru looked slightly sick.

"This is worse than the stuff we had to deal with when we came out publicly." Haruka announced.

"Hey, you don't think anybody is going to make the connection…?" Makoto asked, backing away from the computer and taking her original seat. The others gradually followed suit, leaving Ami to salvage her computer.

"The magic surrounding you when you transform will prevent anyone unless those already in the know from making the connection. It'll work just like normal; people will see Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, but they won't see Haruka or Michiru. Unless of course, you decide to announce it." Setsuna said as she leaned against the doorway, her last sentence dry and directed at them both.

"Well, at least most people appear more than accepting." Rei added hesitantly. "It could be a lot worse."

"I think you'll both just have to be careful of extreme reactions going either way when you are in Senshi form. At least for the next few weeks as people get use to the idea." Minako said, her demeanor much more serious than earlier.

"Of course." Michiru replied. "We've dealt with this before. It can't be all that much different."

Famous last words.

* * *

"Konbanwa Haruka." Setsuna called as she heard the front door open. She was curled up on one of the living room couches, looking relaxed and comfortable as she sipped at a cup of tea and watched the late night news. She heard Haruka's footsteps travel through the foyer and she appeared in the open doorway but a second later.

Setsuna appraised her housemate with a look. Haruka's face was smudged with grease as were her hands and arms.

"I don't see how you always manage to get car grease on your face. It must be one of your many hidden talents." Setsuna teased.

"Come give me a hug 'tsuna." Haruka grinned back, holding her arms out.

"I think not." Setsuna replied, distastefully eyeing the blonde's grease covered arms.

"Hotaru in bed?" Haruka quarried.

"Reading, I think."

"And Michi-"

"Setsuna," Michiru's voice was heard from the direction of the master bedroom, interrupting Haruka, "is that egomaniacal girlfriend of mine finally done flirting with that car? Only she would spend time with her car so late into the night."

"It depends on if you're done splashing in the tub." Haruka was quick to call back, a slight smile on her face.

Michiru appeared in the hallway, wrapped in her bathrobe. She pouted "I was waiting for somebody and they never came. I had no choice but to sit and soak in the bubbles for the past hour."

Haruka's grin widened. "You always tell me I'm too greasy after working with my car."

"I wasn't talking about you." Michiru replied smartly, looking at Setsuna.

"Don't include me in your twisted flirting." Setsuna replied, sipping her tea.

Michiru laughed and walked fully into the living room, taking a seat in the armchair. She settled down in the chair, curling her feet underneath her and then looked up at Haruka.

"Move. I can't see the television. You need to go wash up anyway."

"So demanding..." Haruka grinned, heading toward the kitchen.

She paused as she picked up the news anchor's words from the television.

"-the big debate, of course, has been about this photograph with the kiss between Uranus and Neptune. We've gathered a pop culture expert, the president of the official and massive Sailor Senshi fan club, and a world-renown scientist who has done extensive studies on alien sentient beings including the Senshi and their numerous foes. Thank you for being here tonight. Alright, Akiyama-san, what do you think-"

Haruka sighed and tuned out the program, walking into the kitchen. She scrubbed down, washing the grease off of her hands and arms and then going at the smudges on her face. It took quite a few minutes, but she got relatively clean. Grabbing a drink out of the fridge, she made her way back into the living room, only to be greeted by the television.

"-Senshi use magic. We know they're different from us. They could be fully distinct life forms; entities dissimilar to humans. We don't know. And we won't know unless they decide to volunteer for some tests, which, I think, we all know is extremely unlikely. The fact of the matter is…they're different. Not to mention that they are all female. Maybe for them, it's not too much of a stretch to turn to each other."

"That's a good point, Kosugi-san. The Senshi have gone through extremely rough and probably even traumatic times. They face numerous battles, their lives are constantly in peril, and they put themselves and everything on the line in order to win. Obviously, under such conditions they would form close bonds."

"Is it too far to go to say that maybe it's not just Uranus and Neptune? Maybe it's not just exclusive to those two…Mercury, Jupiter, any of them could also be carrying on a relationship."

"That might be going a little far. It's not like they don't have contact with males."

"Ah, Tuxedo Kamen!"

"But he's just one, and his magic is a far cry from that of the Senshi."

Haruka groaned. "Why are we watching this?"

Michiru and Setsuna both looked up with ill concealed surprise. Haruka sighed; they were totally engrossed in it. She walked over to lean against Michiru's armchair.

"Neither of you have ever really paid all that much attention to this kind of stuff before. So why's it so different now?" Haruka growled.

Setsuna shrugged, while Michiru looked up toward her, studying her for a moment with slight amusement.

"Why? Does it bother you?" Michiru asked the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

"I just don't like people all up in my business." Haruka grumbled back.

Michiru wrinkled her nose.

Quite cutely, Haruka thought.

"You smell koibito. Go take a shower."

* * *

Sailor Uranus dove to the side, arm stretched out wielding the Space Sword. She tucked it underneath her, letting her shoulder hit first and forcing her body into a side roll. The attack hit where her feet had been a mere heartbeat before the concrete exploding in a shower of dust. In the same instant, she was back on her feet and ripped out an attack, the Space Sword swinging out the dangerous energy.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

The golden power arched through the air, one grazing the youma, the other impacting its massive body. She growled as the creature staggered but did not go down. She kept her body moving, avoiding its tail as it swung out at her.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The distraction worked and the creature turned toward Sailor Venus, unleashing another energy blast. Venus avoided it deftly, rolling forwards and coming closer to the youma.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The youma howled at the close range impact and Sailor Uranus took the chance to send her own attack.

"World Shaking!"

The energy sizzled into the youma's armored flesh and it let out another unearthly screech. Uranus followed her attack, charging with the Space Sword in hand. She let out a shout, promising death only to have the tail of the creature bat her away in midair. She skidded across the concrete coming to rest near Sailor Venus.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

The golden chain latched onto one of the legs of the youma. Venus gritted her teeth as it writhed and snarled against the bond, but with her feet firmly planted she held on, buying time for Uranus to recover.

"Have you read the headlines today yet?" Venus said, grinning through the strain.

Uranus picked herself up off the ground. She grumbled back a response, "No, I've been trying to avoid the news and media in general lately."

"They're saying the whole thing's a hoax. Some sort of photo-ah!"

The chain suddenly went lax and Venus stumbled backwards as the youma decided to charge them.

"Watch it!" Uranus yelled, readying herself and sensing Venus recovering and doing the same.

The youma approached, darkish energy spewing from what could be identified as its mouth and tail poised above its head. Just as it unleashed both attacks, Venus dove underneath the belly of the creature and Uranus leapt into the sky, cutting the tail in two with her sword as she arched above the youma. Simultaneously, they ripped their attacks.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The first crashed into the head of the creature, sending it plowing into the concrete, while the other burst into the soft underbelly. The youma let out a painful roar in response and swayed on its feet, as Venus emerged safely from underneath it and Uranus landed lightly behind it. In a last ditch effort, it reared its head once more, turning to look at both Sailor Senshi. More darkish smoke and energy spewed from its mouth, ready to be released before it submitted.

"Deep Submerge!"

The final attack did it, and the youma succumbed to the aqueous power; its body dissipating into the air in a burst of harmless energy.

"Nasty things aren't they?" Sailor Neptune said, appearing beside them.

"Scorpions on steroids I'd say. A dozen of them…" Sailor Uranus responded, taking a deep breath. "Do we know anything about them yet?"

"Mercury is still researching-"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Or was."

The furiously uncharacteristic yell given by Mercury caused the three's sights to return and reassess the battlefield. The material damage was high already in the cross section of two busy roads; broken windows and holes in the surrounding buildings, ripped concrete, crushed and flipped cars. But the Senshi had yet to sustain serious damage to themselves. Currently, Sailors Saturn, Pluto, Mars, and Jupiter were facing off against six of the creatures, while Tuxedo Kamen was fending off another with a flurry of roses and parrying with his cane. Two had turned their attention to Sailor Moon, while another stared down Mercury.

"I'll back her up! You two help Sailor Moon!" Venus shouted, "Venus Love-Me Chain!"

Quickly, she was off and just as quickly Uranus and Neptune turned toward Sailor Moon who was being pressed from two of the scorpion-like youma.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

Both monsters staggered, but predictably did not go down. However, it gave Sailor Moon a chance to recover as Uranus and Neptune stopped alongside her.

"Koneko-chan, daijoubu?" Uranus asked with a smirk.

"Daijoubu. Arigatou. You two always have perfect timing."

"That was little too close for comfort though, ne? Let's get rid of them, shall we?" Neptune prompted, her Aqua Mirror out and fisted defensively in both hands.

Both youma rose back up, menacing and looming over the three Senshi. There was a pause in which the sounds from the rest of the battle could be heard and felt. A simultaneous crackling of flames and cackling of electricity and a thud that was felt through their feet as one of the youma crashed to the ground. The muted screams of the dead and the whistle of the glaive as it cut through the air. And then Uranus struck.

With the Space Sword in hand, she dashed forward, feinting first towards one and then shifting her body to attack the other youma, neatly avoiding sweeping attacks with their front pincers and the downward swipes of the tail that left sizeable holes in the concrete. She swung through a leg, severing it and somewhat crippling the monster. Before she could land a second blow, she was caught by a sweeping pincer of the second youma.

She winced at the bruising impact as the pincer caught her stomach and swept her out in front of the two youma. A pointed and most likely poisoned tail came jutting down over one of the youma's head. She rolled out of the way as the stinger came crashing down, lightning fast and crushing through the concrete. It struck again, but she kept rolling, unable to get to her feet, pressed with the repeated attack. Uranus sensed the other youma, recovered from the severing of its leg, prepare its own attack.

"Hey ugly! Moon Tiara Action!"

It was so distinctly Sailor Moon that Uranus almost laughed. Somehow or another, Moon landed a perfect blow with her tiara. The youma targeting Uranus with its tail let out a howl and staggered backward as the projectile nailed its eye. However the other creature was poised above her, its signature darkish energy spewing from its mouth, ready to let loose.

"Uranus!"

The youma swept a pincer at the charging Sailor Neptune. She was ready however, and timed a jump, hand planting and then vaulting over the pincer to land between Uranus and the now incoming energy attack, the Aqua Mirror posed and ready.

"Submarine Reflection!"

The attack was sent hurtling back, faster and more powerful than before. The youma howled in agony before dissipating into energy.

"Playing damsel in distress, love?" Neptune said, keeping an eye on the other youma with one of its dark and beady eyes screwed shut.

"Only if I get a kiss." Uranus said getting to her feet with a grin. She planted her feet and gripped the Space Sword tightly in both hands. She growled with fierce resolve, the playfulness from before vanishing, "Let's finish this."

"World-"

"Deep-"

The power of their planets filled them, focusing in their hands as they prepared to unleash critical finishing blows.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The final youma was promptly vanquished, leaving Sailors Mercury and Jupiter in its wake.

"Shaaa-hmph!" Uranus let her power go, the golden power in her hands vanishing, sensing Neptune do likewise. "So much for our grand finale."

Jupiter was smirking, hands on her hips. "Really you two, that was amateurish."

"Hey, it was half blind and wasn't going to attack! We had time to be flashy." Uranus defended herself.

Neptune sighed beside her, grabbing Uranus at the elbow and escorting her over to the other two Senshi. She smiled slightly at them, "Maybe we went a little overboard…Is everyone okay?"

"Yes." Mercury responded, halfway turning and pointing behind her. Uranus and Neptune could see the others gathered together a short distance away, Sailor Moon included. Tuxedo Kamen was holding a disheveled looking man, gripping him tightly on his upper arm. Mercury proceeded to explain the unasked question. "They were scorpions infected with nuclear waste and a little leftover Chaos by that man Tuxedo Kamen is holding."

Uranus listened and nodded her head. She touched Neptune's arm, and then started to walk over to the rest of their companions, leaving the other three behind.

"Usagi-chan can get rid of the embodiment of Chaos," Jupiter sighed, "but not its daily occurrences by unbalanced humans."

There was a brief moment of silence and then, "That's why we're here."

Jupiter smiled, "You're right, of course Neptune."

That was the last of the conversation Uranus heard, picking her way through the remains of the street. Rescue, police, and repair crews were already beginning to show up on the destroyed intersection. She smirked to herself as she looked around, wondering how much insurance rates had shot up since the first sightings of the Sailor Senshi. Lost in her exciting thoughts of insurance rates and other such monetary figures, she failed to notice a few voices calling out to her.

"Hey! Sailor Uranus!"

"Wait! We have a question!"

Uranus winced and continued walking. She really, really did not want to have to put up with nosy civilians. She darted her eyes to the side as she kept moving forward, seeing three average looking men and one woman.

"We just want to know-"

"What is the real story-"

"The deal between you and Neptune-"

"Was the picture just some sort of photoshop job?"

"Is it a hoax or is it true?"

Against her better judgment, Uranus paused, turning toward the four. Venus' words from earlier in the battle suddenly rang through her ears. A hoax, huh?

She turned to them, face unreadable and eyes cool. They drew back slightly, but still waited for her answer.

"Why does it matter?" Her voice was carefully controlled.

"See! I told you!"

"Told you what? She didn't say anything either way!"

"There's no way it's true!"

As much as they may have played with others, flirting and mild seduction, she hated there being any doubt in other people's minds about who she belonged too. It was different, she briefly mused, when people just didn't know the truth and when it was cast in doubt or falsified. To hear a complete denial of her and Michiru's relationship…

"Yes. It's true." Her words, heated, cut through their bickering.

The four paused, turning back to her, mouths gaping.

"Ha! I knew it!" One of them recovered, grinning victoriously.

Another stared at her with narrowed eyes. "Prove it."

As if on cue, a new voice broke through their conversation, melodious and somehow reminiscent of the sea. "Uranus, are you ready? We're done here."

Sailor Uranus turned around, a smile unknowingly appearing on her face. Neptune stood a few paces away; the others were gathered behind her, handing the villain of the day over to the police.

"Prove it." The words echoed through her mind. She was unsure if they were uttered again, but she could sense the four waiting expectantly for her to prove it one way or another.

In retrospect, perhaps she should have thought it through a bit more. Did it really matter what these four knew or what they thought they knew? But hindsight is 20/20 and all that jazz.

Instead Neptune found herself being drawn into her partner's arms and kissed, quite passionately. For a second, she was lost in the kiss and the embrace. But then reality kicked in, and Neptune realized about the moment Uranus pulled back they were most definitely in public.

* * *

_A HOAX? THINK AGAIN._

The headline was accompanied by a close up picture of Uranus and Neptune caught in a passionate kiss.

"This is all your fault." Michiru huffed, promptly rolling up the newspaper and smacking Haruka with it.

For her part, Haruka just played innocent and sipped her coffee.

**Fin**

A/N: Okay, here's the important author's note bit.

As you all know, or can see, this marks the fifteenth oneshot.

As a special request and plea from me, your author, I would greatly appreciate it if you maybe could answer the following questions for me in a review, pm, or email. It's a survey of sorts. If you only want to answer one or a few questions, that's fine. I would appreciate any sort of response.

1. What has been your favorite oneshot? (Why?)

2. What has been your least favorite oneshot? (Why?)

3. Has my writing improved?

4. What do you like/dislike about my writing?

5. Is there something you would like to see more/less of?

6. Should I stop with _Seabreeze_ sometime soon and move on to a different project?

7. What has been your favorite/least favorite moment(s) in any of the oneshots.

8. Should I be eaten by a large kraken for even making this survey-ish thing?

Partial and incomplete answers are, of course, accepted. Any answers are more than welcomed. Again, this is just something I'm asking as a favor, but please don't feel obligated. Feel free to do it or not, but it would mean a lot to me if you did. Again, you can answer in a review (if that's legal, the rules are so nitpicky I don't always know), personal message, or email.

Thanks!


	16. Horizon

A/N: I did a bit of research and the sunrise in April in Tokyo is between about 5:30 at the beginning of the month and 4:50 at the end.

Fluffiest thing I've written yet, but I felt the need to write it.

**Horizon**

By Yavapai

More than anything, Haruka just wanted to go back to sleep; to keep her eyes and breathing slow. But she could feel that the warmth in her arms was restless and awake so she forced her eyes open. Looking over the top of aqua hair, her eyes landed on the clock on the nightstand. The red light of the alarm clock was harsh to look upon as was the time given – 4:38 a.m.

"Michiru, go back to sleep." Haruka muttered, unable to keep her eyes from closing again.

The head that was curled underneath Haruka's chin moved, angling upward so that the eyes could land on Haruka's face.

"Haruka…"

"Mmmm?" Haruka groaned in response, forcing her eyes open to look at the shaded ones before her.

"I want to go to the ocean."

"Later."

"I need to go to the ocean."

"We'll take Hotaru-chan with us." Haruka murmured in response, closing her eyes to indicate the discussion was closed.

For a few seconds she had peace and felt herself drifting back off to sleep. She was brought back to reality when she felt a brush of soft lips against her neck, then her jaw line, her cheek, and finally her ear. Haruka mimed sleep even as she felt the words breathed into her ear.

"I need to go see the sunrise."

Michiru halfway pouted as Haruka didn't respond, even though she was aware she was being selfish, especially at this early hour. She was taken entirely by surprise when the arms around her tightened, crushing her against Haruka's warm body. She giggled softly and squirmed in the embrace as Haruka's eyes opened again.

"Another day, Michiru. When I've gotten enough sleep." Haruka murmured.

"Please Haruka. I need to go today."

Haruka sighed, knowing at this point arguing the absurdity of having to go on this particular day with Michiru was pointless; not when she got something into her head like this.

"You can go, you have a car." Haruka fought to reason with her love one last time; sleep was terribly important afterall.

"You need to come with me."

"The world isn't about to end is it?"

"Iie, but come with me…onegai."

Haruka gave a long suffering sigh and then nodded her head. "Alright."

They dressed quickly and padded their way quietly through the house, leaving a note for Setsuna on the kitchen counter before making it out of the backdoor and to the garage. It was much too cool for a top down convertible ride this early on an April morning, so they chose Michiru's, nonetheless, sporty luxury sedan.

The world was cast in gray as light began to make itself known for the new day. They were alone on the road out of greater Tokyo for the most part, only passing a few other cars and utility vehicles. The ride was silent except for the low hum of the engine and the mutterings from the radio. Michiru had offered to drive, assuming Haruka would not mind sleeping a bit more. But Haruka had declined; she drove at any opportunity as was her way.

Now Michiru stared out the window, and with a glance Haruka could tell by the slight tension in her shoulders and legs that the aqua-haired woman was anxious to arrive. She had not pressed any more on why exactly Michiru had to go to the ocean, her love could be highly cryptic even to her when she so desired.

Haruka took another glance at Michiru as she guided their car through a sharp turn, catching her in the headlights of a passing car. Her face was a mask of calm and composure, giving nothing away even to Haruka. The sea-blue eyes, reflected in the headlights, were bright, focused, and intense; this was Michiru completely intent on something.

The gray world and midnight blue sky had metamorphosed into a myriad of dark shades, continuously growing lighter as Haruka turned off the road into an empty public beach parking lot. Remnants of sand crunched under the tires and kicked up behind the car as she drove into the parking place nearest to the access ramp.

Michiru was out the door as soon as Haruka put the car in park. She hurried ahead, somehow graceful in a speedy walk. Haruka was slower in following; she lingered next to the car, fingering the keys, as she closed the driver's door. She stared after Michiru, curious.

"Michiru…" She said it softly. Just a murmur; it would have been impossible for Michiru to have heard it from her location halfway down the access ramp. Yet she turned, aqua hair fluttering in the breeze. She buttoned her jacket to keep out the chill of the cool morning, giving Haruka a soft smile.

"Come on, Haruka. The sun is about to rise."

And then she was hurrying forward again, pausing only to slip off her sandals and roll up the legs of her designer jeans just before she hit the sand of the beach. Haruka zipped up her own jacket fully and stuffed her hands into her pockets as she followed with long strides.

The first true rays of sunlight were just beginning to shine over the horizon. The sky, dotted with a few clouds, was a palette of colors and the ocean was a seamless expanse of grayish blue. Both were the backdrop to the sun's gradual movement, looking as if it rose straight out of the sea.

Michiru stood ankle deep in the water, waves lapping up over her feet. She looked completely relaxed, illuminated in the golden light of the first sun, arms held loosely at her sides, head tilted slightly back, and toes buried in sand and sea. She looked out into the horizon and Haruka smiled as she watched the wind play with aqua hair.

Haruka kicked off her tennis shoes at the end of the access ramp and took the first step into cool sand. She paused momentarily to also roll up the legs of her jeans. She finished and looking up, noticed Michiru was still staring off into the distance.

Haruka stood, slowly and took a few steps forward. She stopped at the edge of the incoming waves, unwilling to trespass into the sea without being invited by its mistress. She smiled into the breeze that swept around her and took note of the white caps breaking the seamless ocean in front of her.

"Hey," Haruka's voice was husky, "don't leave me behind…going off into your own world."

Haruka could not see the soft surprise followed by a smile that crossed Michiru's face. But when she looked back, turning her body slightly at the waist, her sea-blue eyes were warm and inviting.

And Haruka stepped into the sea.

She wrapped her arms tightly about Michiru's waist, pulling her love against her and resting her chin upon her shoulder. Haruka turned her head and placed a small kiss against Michiru's cheek.

"So…why are we here? Today specifically…" Haruka asked softly.

"For this." Michiru replied, gesturing toward the sunrise and open sea in front of them. "I…we needed to be here…for this."

Silence fell between the two as they watched the sunrise on the privacy of the beach. Michiru's hands were warm on Haruka's, contrasting to the coolness of the air and the slightly warmer ocean. She spoke after a moment, when the sun was just over halfway above the horizon.

"Do you see it Haruka? Where the heavens meet the sea?"

"Hai, Michiru…I see it."

"They always reach for each other and they meet…in the horizon. Even though the ocean may be confined, and the wind free to roam."

"But look how the wind touches the ocean, not caring for its freedom when the deep sea awaits below." Haruka replied, lifting one arm to gesture toward the ever changing white caps.

"And on the horizon, they finally merge…the sea and heavens." Michiru finished, raising her own arm and entangling Haruka's gesturing hand with her own, pulling it back down and tight around her.

"Not just in the distance. They always meet, promised to one another." Haruka replied, tilting her head, kissing Michiru's cheek, jaw, edge of her mouth.

Michiru sighed contentedly and smiled ever so slightly. She angled her own head to meet Haruka's next kiss, turning in her arms as it grew more impassioned.

And in the cool April morning on the privacy of the beach, the heavens and the sea met again.

**Fin**

A/N: Incredibly sappy isn't it? Yikes.

And now…a little something extra…for fun.

**Omake!**

Haruka: I have sand in places I didn't even think I could have sand.

Michiru: Ara?

Haruka: Don't "ara" me. I know you're just as uncomfortable as I am! And don't give me any more of your mystical cryptic stuff either.

Michiru: You wound me, love.

Haruka: You got me up before dawn to have sex on the beach! A public beach!

Michiru: It's not like anyone was there…and since when have you complained about sex? I suppose I shall just take my shower alone when we get home…

Haruka: Hey! Hey…haha…ahem…there's no need for that…

Michiru: The beach, the sunrise…it was a romantic atmosphere!

Haruka: Romantic? Our author is cheesy and sappy and needs to runoff to Fiji or Monaco and get laid. "Felt the need to write" my ass. I could write ten times better with truly romantic scenes.

Yavapai: I resent that!

Michiru: Yavapai, what is that colorful concoction you are drinking?

Yavapai: Sex on the beach. Cheers!

Haruka: She has awful jokes too…

**End Omake**


	17. Splintered

**A/N: **Long time no see. I hope you enjoy this oneshot. It's a bit dramatic and a bit epic, but hopefully not overdone. As another warning, there's a lot of hugging in this oneshot...whatever that means.

One thing you may notice when you read the story is that it reads like a beginning and an end and you might be going "Wtf? Where's the rising action? And the climax! Yavapai sucks!" That's because originally this was one of my ideas for a chaptered fic. Ultimately, you are looking at the end and beginning of a fanfic. I dropped this idea as a chaptered fic because of the middle; the brunt of the overarching subplots would would have been too big for me to handle.

This fic is what my warped mind came up with for the reasons that Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru's future in Crystal Tokyo is unknown. It's probably not plausible, but that's okay…that's what fanfiction is all about! Yep, I'm still trying to convince myself.

Also, you'll note that I did away with the completely utopian society that I hinted toward in "Hostage." In other words, there was never any type of purification of evil that my early thoughts on Crystal Tokyo came up with. Crystal Tokyo still is as about as good as it gets of course, but it's not a complete utopia.

There are a few more author's notes at the end that might explain any questions you will have as well.

As always, I don't own it. The end.

**Splintered**

By Yavapai

The setting sun glinted off the surfaces of gleaming skyscrapers brightening the vacant streets of central Crystal Tokyo. It was quiet too; no sounds of people or whirl of energy that surrounded the city. The sounds left were almost natural; that of the wind ruffling, birds unaware that something was amiss, a few forgotten dogs that howled for their masters. For all the lack of human activity, there were signs of life scattered about. One of the many swiftly abandoned vehicles had been left running; the driver's door open to reveal a chic leather interior and sound system. There were forgotten personal items on the sidewalks, a couple of shopping bags, a bento box, and even a heeled shoe that had slipped off in its wearer's haste to reach safety.

Inside the buildings and skyscrapers of central Crystal Tokyo, anxious citizens peered out of their home and office windows. More people huddled inside stores and restaurants that lined the streets. Curiously, the lights were off inside every single building. Looking more closely, it could be seen that all power was off. All those inside waiting in the half light of setting sun appeared tense and unused to the quietness that surrounded them. Some people looked bored; others looked terrified, but most seemed anxious.

One particular young man, approximately thirty years old was in one such shop. He remained up towards the front, looking out of the now locked glass doors. It was a woman's clothing store, a place that normally he would have nothing to do with. A sales associate and manager stood looking shaken behind the counter, nervously staring out the windows into the street. There was a sound of a muffled sob, and the young man turned around, only then realizing that dozens of others were gathered in the store standing as far back as possible. His eyes fell on the origin of the sob, a child, wrapped firmly around her mother's leg. The mother made a soothing noise, bending down to take the child in her arms. As the young man turned back toward the street windows he caught himself wishing his own mother was with him.

He had only just gotten inside before the manager had locked the doors and realized that the others had probably run in at the first warning from Neo-Queen Serenity. To be fair, it only took a second urging from the Neo-Queen with her warm, concerned voice that magically echoed through the city to send him and the others that had ignored the first to scurry for cover. He lingered by the glass doors, curiosity beating at fear, wondering why the entire power system of the city was shut down.

Ignoring the muted sounds of the others crowded into the store with him, the young man could faintly hear a pulse of music. Looking out the glass doors, he found the aforementioned vehicle left powered on lay directly in front of the store's windows, music emitting from its speakers. He peered intensely through the glass, feeling a sudden change to the atmosphere around him. His eyes widened as they fell on why he was hiding inside.

The wraith alien was beyond anything he had ever seen, even in the university textbooks he had recently been studying by Sailor Mercury. It was black, darker than any pitch-black room he had ever been in. It seemed shapeless, its form constantly changing as floated just above the pavement.

The thing came closer, nearing his location and though it had no discernable eyes, for a second he swore it looked at him. The young man cursed and he tripped trying to backpedal away from its presence. Stumbling over his feet, he found himself on the floor. His heart beat wildly as he realized that the alien was not focusing him, but now hovering near the running car. The thing seemed to expand, some of its black form writhing forward, curling into the vehicle. The alien pulsed just once, and all the power and energy was sucked out of the car, forcing it to power down. As the wraith floated away from the vehicle, for all appearances it looked like any of the others left stranded on the streets. Yet for some reason the young man instinctively knew that the car would never run again, even if the battery was changed and the power system reworked.

Swallowing thickly, he raised himself to a sitting position, watching the alien as it began to move on. He stared wide-eyed as the thing billowed out and a feature that could be called a head emerged. It formed what looked like teeth, black and to a fine point. The young man watched it in a horrified fascination. Shivers went down his spine as he heard the alien hiss, the teethed head assumingly facing down the street.

The world outside the store window suddenly exploded in bright fire. He instinctively shielded his eyes with his arm, as the fire just outside the store brightened the inside considerably. A moment later he lowered his arm. He found the fire receding and the alien pulsing, just like it did before. But the majority of his attention fell on the eight figures surrounding the wraith.

The Sailor Senshi stood battle ready, each imposing and incredibly beautiful in their own way. The young man found his breath caught in his throat; he had never seen them so close before. And all eight of them at that! It was rare for all eight to be in the city at once. There were exclamations of joy and small cheers from behind him.

He climbed to his feet, aware of the silly grin on his face. Nevertheless he let out a fierce whisper. "Hell yes!"

The Senshi were at a standstill at the moment. Seven of them had attacks or weapons aimed at the alien. The eighth, Sailor Mercury, was working at her handheld computer. Fiercely typing with one hand, she spoke to the others.

He could hear her voice, precise and measured. "Energy attacks are useless! It will just absorb it like it did with Mars' fire."

He only just noticed then that the fire was all gone, leaving smoking charred remains behind. The alien had stopped pulsing, having fed off all the energy it could obtain from the fire. It contorted around itself, its black mass refusing to stay still. It hissed again, showing its dark teeth.

"Physical attacks then?" Sailor Uranus suggested, leveling her stare at the wraith.

The young man noticed she gripped the legendary Space Sword tighter, shifting her stance. Sailor Saturn, the Senshi closest to him, gave an experimental twirl of the equally legendary Silence Glaive at those words. As his eyes fell on its gleaming tip, he briefly thought back to his Senshi history class and the power behind such a weapon and the figure who wielded it.

"Hold! Don't attack yet!" Venus shouted. Her sword, the sign of her leadership, flashed in a defensive stance. "We don't know how this thing will react to physical attacks. Mercury?"

"I'm working on it!"

The wraith alien had no attention of waiting. It hissed again, and quicker than the young man could follow, the thing attacked. It's convoluting form suddenly extending into a weapon. It sent out spears of its mass, retracting itself back in only to attack again, its form warping to impose its onslaught. The Senshi were on par with its speed though, even Mercury who continued to work at her computer as she dodged.

"Keep it occupied! We don't know what it's capable of." Sailor Pluto warned after just dodging the wraith's bodily attack.

The young man found himself on his feet caught up in the fight. He lingered near the doors, drawn into the battle as the Senshi flipped and twisted, avoiding the wraith's attacks. He twitched, his muscles jumping as he urged the Senshi to fight and dodge. It was thanks to this that he was able to dodge shrapnel that was sent flying into the glass windows blown from the collision of one of Sailor Jupiter's attack and the wraith's own counter.

Lying on his stomach after taking a dive away from the shrapnel, it took a few dizzying moments for him to recover. He placed his hands down and winced as they crunched on glass. Ignoring it, he got to his knees, glass on his back sliding to the floor. Wide-eyed, he looked around the store. Clothes and mannequins were torn and decorated with shrapnel. Jagged chunks of pavement and ragged metal dotted the once pristine store. There was no additional panic of an injured person coming from the cluster of citizens in the back and he found himself glad that no one was hurt. By the time, the world completely cleared for him and he thought to look back onto the street, the battle had moved on. As if in a dream, he sluggishly moved through the now broken glass door. Staring down the street, he could hear the faint sounds of battle and knew the fight was heading toward the center of everything, the Crystal Palace.

* * *

The battle was edging closer and closer to the Crystal Palace. Though they had not taken any injuries, the wraith was slowly leading them toward its gates and they had yet to find a way to stop it. All their powered attacks were good for was distracting it momentarily. The alien's malleability and shifting form kept them from constructing a plan together and from landing a solid blow.

As they skidded through the large plaza that opened before the gates of the Palace, more and more anxious urgency over took them.

As the gates loomed just overhead, Sailor Neptune ducked under a spear of the wrath's body. She back-flipped away from a subsequent attack and found herself alongside her partner.

"The Ginzuishou?" Neptune prompted between breaths not taking her eyes off the alien.

Uranus's eyes widened in realization, "Of course! An energy-sucker, what else could it want-Watch it!"

She stepped in front of Neptune, raising the Space Sword, her left palm against the flat of the blade. As the attack from the wraith landed against her defensive stance, she felt herself being pushed back. Gritting her teeth, she held on against the thing's strength. Neptune spun out from behind her, and quickly leveled a point-blank Deep Submerge at the appendage.

The alien hissed in what they hoped was pain and attacked them again. Before they could even begin to dodge, a slight form appeared in front of them.

"Silence Wall!"

The wraith's spear-like appendages recoiled and were quickly reabsorbed once it hit Saturn's shield. It drew back, suddenly ceasing its fight and movement. The alien reformed its savage black teeth and hissed. The Senshi breathing heavily from their exertions, but far from tired, watched it curiously. Keeping their eyes warily on it, they regrouped.

"It's after the Ginzuishou." Sailor Neptune stated.

"I agree." Sailor Mercury announced. "It absorbs energy and we all know what kind of power the Ginzuishou possesses."

"Saturn, I saw what happened with your Wall, that's caused it more pain than anything so far." Sailor Venus said. She kept her sword leveled at the wraith-alien, waiting for it to strike back.

As if to reaffirm this statement, the extraterrestrial attacked again, this time its whole body surging forward forming gnashing teeth. Long years of practice and teamwork let the Senshi stand their ground as Sailor Saturn stepped forward.

"Silence Wall!"

Again the alien recoiled and hissed. For the first time, its form ceased moving completely, making it appear like a solid black cloud in the middle of the plaza.

"Saturn, do you think you can enclose it completely inside the Silence Wall?" Venus said. "Nothing else has particularly worked so far."

Saturn turned to glance back at the others as she maintained the shield. Venus smiled; her serious demeanor slipping as she winked. Mercury looked up from her computer, which she whipped out in the lull and gave a nod of assent. Jupiter and Mars still maintained their battle ready composure, but she felt their trust as their eyes landed on her. Saturn bit back her own smile as she saw Uranus and Neptune, stand close. They both gave her warm smiles, but she knew from their stances, they were ready to move at a moment's notice. And finally, her eyes landed on Pluto, standing just behind Venus, the tip of the Garnet Rod resting on the ground. Pluto was not looking back. Instead her eyes were closed, her free hand at her temple. Saturn shrugged it aside for now; it was time to finish this. But she would be sure to ask Setsuna-mama what was wrong later.

Leveling purple eyes at the wraith-alien, Saturn tightened her grip on the Silence Glaive. With the gates of the Crystal Palace looming just overhead, she felt her mission more keenly along with a fierce desire to the protect those inside. Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion…Usagi…

Just before she began to expand the Silence Wall, Pluto's eyes opened wide. If anyone had been watching, they would have seen a look of sheer panic crossed her face.

"Hotaru!" Pluto called out. Her voice, normally carefully controlled, had a twinge of fear in it. She found herself stepping forward, pushing past Venus.

Saturn looked back in surprise. She found Pluto standing in front now, her face impassive and calm. "Setsuna-mama, is everything okay?"

"Of course. Be careful…that's all." Pluto replied, her voice warm, but composed.

Saturn peered at Pluto. Sensing nothing abnormal Saturn smiled back, shrugging it off as motherly affection. As she turned around, Saturn thought she caught something else in the garnet eyes. It was familiar in the sense of a distant memory.

Saturn turned all her attention to the wraith. Inhaling deeply, she took a step forward, holding her glaive up. With her, moved the Silence Wall. Expanding it took but a moment's control. The wraith hissed, drawing into itself, is the shield began to close around it. Then it pulsed.

Sailor Saturn grimaced and faltered. Her Silence Wall shattered leaving the shapeless wraith-alien behind. Too late, each Sailor Senshi realized the mistake in the plan. It pulsed again, and all the remaining energy from the shield was vacuumed into the alien. Saturn staggered, her glaive falling uselessly to the ground.

In the split-second before any of the Senshi could react, the wraith pulsed and surged forward. It completely surrounded Sailor Saturn, engulfing her inside its black mass. Saturn was lost inside; all that could be seen was the convoluting form of the alien. Its darkness was impenetrable.

"Hotaru!" Sailor Neptune's cry came desperate, even as she rushed forward wielding the Deep Aqua Mirror.

"Monster!" Sailor Uranus's enraged shout intermingled with her lover's.

Sailor Pluto dashed forward with them, her eyes dark and her face grim. The Inner Senshi followed a mere heartbeat later with their own vindictive and incensed battle cries.

Their charge was ceased almost immediately as a pinpoint of light appeared in the midst of the darkness. The Senshi watched anxiously as the pinpoint quickly grew and glimmered.

"It's her heart crystal…" Sailor Pluto said breathed, inching forward. She continued speaking, her voice shuddering into a near sob. "I can't…! By the gates of hell! Hotaru!

Neptune's eyes widened in realization. She turned toward her partner who was standing next to her, her jaw tightly clenched and the Space Sword held uselessly at her side. Neptune's words were urgent and panicked, pitched so that only Uranus could hear. "Haruka, it's taking her heart crystal! It's energy too! I'm going!"

Uranus shot Neptune the briefest of glances that held the Senshi of the Seas in her spot for just a moment longer. That was all the time Uranus needed to push Neptune back into the Inner Senshi and dash forward herself. She drew to sudden halt, her body wavering a mere arm length away from her goal, as a new voice pierced the air.

"Hotaru!"

Neo-Queen Serenity's voice was not loud, but it carried to them with its desperation and love. In return, the Senshi and even the wraith-alien seemed to focus on her. The queen stood on battlements above the gate; battlements that had never been manned in the history of Crystal Tokyo. Serenity did not merely glow with power. She shined, her glow made even brighter in the falling light. Luminescent wings sprouted from her back. Her hair fluttered about her in an unknown wind. She was a beacon of radiance as she desperately searched for the power to save one of the few that had always been there for her. Even though they had seen it before, the Senshi were still amazed by the power of their queen.

"Serenity! No!" Mars suddenly shouted, stepping forward and breaking the calm that appeared with the Neo-Queen, "It's here for the Ginzoushou! For you! Stay away!"

Serenity left the battlements behind and flew focusing on the stilled alien below. She spared a glance at Mars, her voice more old-Usagi then Serenity. "I have to save Hotaru!"

The wraith had indeed paused at entrance of the true-power, the energy it had spent its whole existence looking for. The eight energies that had surrounded it and slowed it down would have sustained it for thousands of lifetimes. Until the one had stood still with its shield it did not understand how to get to such energy. But now even with that energy and power ready to be consumed in a glowing crystal, it found the true-power that had driven it to this far off system in the first place. All of its attention fell onto the glimmering being that hovered in front of it.

"Displaced one," Neo-Queen Serenity began, her words filled with a regal authority that would send any human soul to its knees. "Be gone. You do not belong here."

Even with her power, she spoke warmly, imploring the extraterrestrial to leave. In response, the alien flared out around its edges and hissed at the energy it wanted so terribly. There was a bright flash of light from the queen and a pulse of darkness from the wraith. Amidst this, several small gleaming objects flew into the sky, lost quickly to sight as they exited the atmosphere. The Sailor Senshi did not remain dormant as their queen battled the wraith-alien. They watched the proceedings closely, noting every move the wraith-alien made and still looking deep into its darkness, hoping for a glimpse of life from Sailor Saturn.

Then as Serenity's feet touched the ground, the wraith vanished completely. It left behind a limp Sailor Saturn. Her face pale, and eyes closed, she began to fall in absence of any support. Uranus caught her before she hit the ground, and lowered her in a careful grip. Neptune and Pluto were beside them in an instant.

"She's not breathing!" Neptune moaned, all traces of her normal composure gone. "Hotaru! Please!"

Her sea-blue eyes filled with tears caught the pained green ones of her lover's. Uranus reached out a gloved hand over the fallen senshi's midsection, the other arm supporting Saturn at her shoulders. Neptune gripped the offered hand tight, resting the weight of their handhold on Saturn's still warm stomach. Her free hand held a limp one of Saturn's. The Senshi of the Seas moaned Hotaru's name again, tears falling this time as she bent over the still body. Uranus tightened both her grips, a guttural sound of rage and despair tearing at her throat. Pluto kneeled closely, holding Saturn's other hand in both of her own. She turned toward the others who looked on with their own wretched despair and horrified grief, still not fully processing the tragedy.

"Her heart crystal…" Pluto's whisper was hoarse. She found no more words.

But Serenity found the power.

* * *

Michiru stared at the fallen warrior held in a crystallized stasis. The soul remained, but the heart was gone. Frozen with the power of the Ginzuishou, Sailor Saturn appeared like a porcelain doll, resting on a table at the far end of the chamber. She would remain in stasis until the queen freed her of it. That could only be done safely once the heart crystal was reunited with its owner.

"It all makes full circle in the end. We were not meant to be here at some point in the future." Michiru said calmly. Her reasoning was cool and logical, but her eyes shined with fierce emotion.

Haruka stood next to her with an arm about her shoulders. Her expression was somber and aggrieved. Her stance though, held some returning confidence and when she spoke, it was with conviction. "It may take us hundred of years, but we'll return. We'll save you Hotaru-chan."

Finished with their goodbyes, they turned ready to leave the chamber deep inside of the Crystal Palace. Waiting in the doorway stood Setsuna and Serenity. The Guardian of Time was focused not on the returning couple, but upon the form of Sailor Saturn. The only sign of expression was the sadness lingering in her eyes. Serenity, on the other hand, had two tracks of tears making their way down her cheeks. She was silent; this was not the wailing of her early years, but a deep sadness that was not even accompanied by a sniffle. She turned her attention to her Senshi of Time,

"Setsuna…" Serenity said softly as Haruka and Michiru walked back toward them.

"I've said my goodbyes my queen." Setsuna responded, garnet eyes not leaving the still body of Sailor Saturn.

Serenity nodded once and turned to look upon her fallen Senshi. It was faint, but she could feel the power seeping into Saturn's body. Just enough to keep her alive until the day Haruka and Michiru returned. As the couple stepped through the entryway, Haruka glanced one last time back to Saturn. Determination shined in her eyes, and in Michiru's, who gazed steadfastly forward, at a point beyond Serenity and Setsuna.

"Haruka, Michiru…?" Serenity started.

"Thanks odango-atama." Haruka replied with a small smirk. Even after all these years, the nickname for the once Tsukino Usagi persisted onto the ascended form.

Serenity smiled appreciatively. "Alright."

Haruka and Michiru as one took a few steps back away from the entrance. Setsuna hovered near Serenity for a moment longer, taking once last glance at Saturn lying inside the chamber. When she looked up and away, she met the gaze of Michiru. They shared a deep look, one of pain that both knew would be hidden away once this was done. Haruka, catching the sudden helpless in her companions, extended the arm that wasn't wrapped around Michiru to Setsuna.

Together, the three remaining Outer Senshi watched as their queen sealed the woman they regarded as a daughter in the chamber deep inside the Crystal Palace until the time came in which Sailor Saturn, Tomoe Hotaru, was reunited with her heart crystal.

It was only two days since the attack. None inside the Crystal Palace had slept for more than a couple of hours at most. What had at first seemed series of disastrous coincidences was truthfully an unveiling of fate.

They had all thought about it at some point. Why had Chibiusa known nothing about Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn? Where were they at that point in the future?

Now it was becoming clearer. Sailor Saturn would be sealed away. Sailors Uranus and Neptune would depart in the next hour in order to find those fragments of Saturn's heart crystal that had ricocheted off into the galaxy. It had been the only way in that moment of battle. The wraith-alien had been at the point of consuming the fragments it had made of the heart crystal when it realized it could not stand up to power it so wanted. Serenity had tried to pry them out of the thing's clutches, but when her power hit the alien's greedy pulse, they rocketed into space. That had been the small gleaming fragments seen amidst the clash of power. Serenity blamed herself. Whether if it was that her power had brought the wraith-alien to Earth in the first place or that she had not done enough to save her Senshi of Saturn, she was beside herself with grief and failure. After stabilizing Saturn, she had been nothing but a crumpled form of tears. The Sailor Senshi kept it together just enough to get themselves back inside the confines of the palace with assistance from the King.

Serenity composed herself in the aftermath. It helped that she knew her duties to the city she so loved. She still had citizens to reassure, thought most of the details of getting the city back together after shutting down all power would fall to her Senshi and their trusted staff. They wrapped themselves up in Crystal Tokyo, but…the loss of one of their own…Each one remained on the precipice of a breakdown. Now they would lose two more. An arduous journey awaited Haruka and Michiru. They would not falter. No matter the time or distance, they would find every splintered fragment of Hotaru's heart crystal.

In the span of two heartbeats, Serenity had enclosed the small chamber in which Sailor Saturn lay. Now it was just an expanse of wall, only deviating from the rest with an engraving of a crescent moon in its stone.

"It's done." Serenity said. She laid her palm upon the stone, just over the engraving and closed her eyes. Michiru buried her head into Haruka's shoulder at those words. Haruka could only hold her tighter and look helplessly at where the entrance used to be. Setsuna hovered near, included in the group with Haruka's spare hand gripping her own. The moment of silence seemed to last for eternity, but as one, they broke it.

Serenity separated from the wall, and joined her Outer Senshi. Michiru raised her head, her eyes dry, her face composed. Haruka kissed Michiru's temple and slackened her grip. Setsuna squeezed the hand holding hers and let it go. She eyed the couple and her queen, her garnet eyes dark with what could only be described as forlorn. Her ageless beauty seemed to rush out of her, leaving a hunched scarred woman behind. She spoke hesitantly and regretfully. "The Time Stream gives me nothing but hints and nudges, yet it unraveled briefly in my mind those few moments before Saturn took her stand. I could not act…the future…"

"Setsuna…" Michiru trailed off. She was unsure how to comfort her friend when it was all still raw.

"It's always for the future." Setsuna's voice broke. She turned away, unwilling to look at her two closest friends and her queen.

"The future is only a day away Setsuna." Serenity responded stepping forward. She placed a hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "Always…I thank you for your strength and wisdom."

With those words, and that reminder, Setsuna recovered. Though the melancholy remained in her eyes, she stood firm. "Time is not real, but a man's way of measuring his mortality." She paused, and this time a sad sort of smile pulled at her features. But it was a smile nonetheless. "It's always for the future."

Serenity took her hand giving it a meaningful squeeze. With that, the party navigated their way out of the depths of the Crystal Palace, eventually emerging into a busy central corridor. They walked slowly toward the southern end of the palace, taking in their last moments together. They talked of the past, lighthearted conversation just to soak in the presence of one another.

"I know I've asked already, but there is nothing I need to take care of?" Serenity changed the topic.

Haruka shot a glance at Setsuna, "Our affairs are in order."

Serenity sighed, turning to Setsuna, "Let me know if there's anything I can do then."

Setsuna smiled, "It's under control my queen, but I'll let you know if something unexpected comes up. You never can tell with them two."

Haruka grumbled good-naturedly, while Michiru's features softened into a smile as she teased back. "Speak for yourself my friend."

Serenity giggled, "I'll keep your rooms exactly the same while you're gone!"

Haruka poked the queen gently, "Oi, I hope you at least let somebody in there to dust once in a while."

They each laughed appreciatively, knowing their time was drawing to a close as they came closer to the small hanger on the back of the Crystal Palace. As their laughter subsided, Michiru spoke, her expression quite serious. "Both of you are quite sure this will work? That the Ginzuishou has the power to warp someone's sense of the world without harming them?"

"Michiru, the Ginzuishou is benevolent and firmly intertwined with me. I know I have to do this to preserve the Time Stream…Even though it is my own daughter. Otherwise…" Serenity said with conviction.

Setsuna nodded her head, a collected countenance about her mysterious air. "It will work. No harm will befall Small Lady."

Serenity, though she had been reassured countless of times, breathed a sigh of relief. She was going to alter her daughter's mind. Forcibly change it. It sickened her, but she knew it had to be done.

"So every instance our names come up…anything concerning Michiru, Hotaru, or I, the Ginzuishou will fog that part over in Small Lady's brain?" Haruka repeated in wonderment, "To her, it will be like we never existed."

"That is the point love." Michiru reminded gently.

"Your power and capabilities continue to amaze me odango." Haruka said with a wink toward the queen.

"It's probably best that you take down anything of us your past selves might happen upon in the future as well." Michiru interjected, saving the flustered queen.

"I know this is hard, but it's also best that you don't send any messages during your travels." Setsuna said. "There's too much of a chance…"

"We understand." Haruka said

"I'll know!" Serenity said warmly. She laid both hands over her heart. "I'll know how you two are doing. We're all connected. I can sense you, across the galaxy, even the universe. I'll be able to tell."

"Likewise for us my queen." Michiru said confidently. "And I'll have my mirror. We can watch from afar…just like in our previous lives."

"Don't compare it to then." Serenity said adamantly, "You'll return. And you'll bring back Hotaru's heart crystal. It'll all go back to the way it was. The way it's supposed to be."

Haruka and Michiru could only nod their heads at such encouraging words.

"In the future…" Setsuna murmured in response, her words lost as they arrived at the hangar.

The hangar was small as it was for private use of the royal family. It held just two docks, only one of which was currently in use. A sleek spacecraft rested in the closest dock, its silver hull gleaming with polish. This was the Crystal Odyssey III, better known as CO-III; a brainchild of Ami's that had been in development since CO-I, one hundred years ago. It had reached completion just last year and had only been used twice since then. It held the best technology Crystal Tokyo had to offer and was the best suited for long-distance space travel. It was thus the best choice for Haruka and Michiru's venture.

The hangar was nearly deserted. The prepping had been completed and all the staff and technicians had vacated to let the Senshi handle the take-off. Near the loading ramp were eight figures waiting in a small group. As the queen and the remaining Outer Senshi approached, a small figure darted away from the group, dashing as quickly as possible toward them.

"Mama!" Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity cried as she came closer.

Serenity bent down, meeting her daughter in a hug. "Small Lady…Usagi, what's wrong?

The princess pulled back, her eyes wide and her lips in a worried frown. "Hotaru-chan is really gone now isn't she?"

Serenity smiled sadly, reaching out a hand to brush an errant strand of pink hair out of her daughter's face. "Yes, darling, she's gone."

"Hotaru-chan was my friend…she always played with me…" There was a welling of tears. Princess Usagi had taken the blow hard upon hearing Hotaru was in a stasis. She had done well though, given the circumstances. Small Lady remained somewhat of a mystery. Even though they all knew she would age once she became Sailor Chibi Moon, even Ami and Setsuna could not explain why she stopped growing at five years. In consequence, at times Small Lady could be very adult, and at others act the age she appeared. Since her birth, Hotaru had been by her side, anxious to rekindle the friendship that meant so much during her first life. Despite its difficulties, they formed a solid bond much like they had in Hotaru's past and Chibiusa's future.

Serenity, reflecting on this and on what she would have to do, could only speak reassuring words. "I know, but it'll hurt less soon."

The princess shook her head, and then looked over at Haruka and Michiru. With a wordless cry, she tackled Haruka's legs, holding onto them in a fierce hug. Haruka staggered a bit at the sudden force, but caught her balance. She smiled down at the princess, laying a hand on her head.

"And Haruka and Michiru are leaving!" Usagi's voice was muffled and hitched.

Michiru knelt down next to the princess, immediately claiming her attention. "Princess, we'll return one day. When that day comes, I'll be anxious to see how much you've grown."

The Princess Usagi looked at Michiru with her russet eyes, composing her self under the sea-blue gaze. "I'll..." She sniffed, "I'll remember everything you taught me about being a lady."

Michiru took the princess's small hands into her own. "You'll have your mother and all the other Senshi for that and it's not the most important thing. What I want you to remember is not to take things for granted. In the end, it is not the years of your life that count, but the life in your years. Your happiness rests within your own choices."

The princess nodded with wide eyes.

"That was absolutely poetical Michiru. I don't think I could have said it better myself." Haruka responded teasingly. She also knelt down next to the princess. "Take your passions and fly with them. We'll see you again before you know it."

Usagi threw her small arms around their necks, attempting to hug both at once. When the princess pulled back, despite the tears in her eyes, there was a large smile upon her face. She proclaimed fiercely, "I'll see you soon then! And I'll remember!"

After those words, the princess dashed back to her mother who now stood with the remainder of the party. This left the remaining Outer Senshi alone together.

"Those were some impressive words of wisdom you two." Setsuna remarked softly as they climbed to their feet.

"Oh, I'd say we've had a few years to mature such thoughts." Haruka responded with a devilish grin. The smile faded as the couple continued to regard their closest friend.

"We'll find the pieces of her heart crystal, Setsuna. We'll bring her back." Michiru's sea-blue eyes were cold steel.

Setsuna smiled sadly, "I know. There's no one else I would trust with such a task."

"I know you'll take care of everything here." Haruka said with confidence.

"Of course." Setsuna responded.

That was all the words that the Outer Senshi needed to share. Years of battles, years of politics, years of trepidation and contentment, years of friendship spoke for itself. Setsuna pulled both of them into a hug. There was no need to voice such a simple understood sentiment as 'I'll miss you.' Each felt it.

They separated. With one last look at Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru turned to finish their walk to the spacecraft. The Guardian of Time stood her ground, watching her friends' departure from the distance.

Haruka and Michiru approached the dock side by side with measured steps. Their eyes fell upon the Inner Senshi, so completely different from all those years ago, yet also so similar. They stood in a neat cluster, slightly separate from the royal family. Makoto was still tall and sightly with thick brown hair, and despite the recent events, held herself more comfortably than years past. Ami, standing close to Makoto, no longer exhibited an inherent shyness in her petite form and her blue eyes shined wisdom that most could never even dream of. Rei was perhaps the least changed of all, maintaining her fiery passion and dark beauty, but though it would be impossible to tell currently, she was much quicker to smile than her past self. Nothing hid the ageless allure of the flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes of Minako that still spoke of a youthful happy disposition, but she had mellowed somewhat over the years, rightfully taking her spot as the Senshi leader.

As a group, the Inner Senshi regarded their once distant Outer teammates. Ami was first to step up. She opened her mouth to speak as Haruka and Michiru came just a few paces away. All that came out was a surprised squeak as Haruka picked her up in a fierce hug.

"Thanks for your hard work the past couple of days Ami-chan." Haruka said as she sat her down.

"You know you don't have to thank me for such a thing Haruka. Here, take this." Ami handed over a cylindrical device with a curious opening. "Put the fragments in there and the heart crystal will reform itself."

"Still Ami, thank you." Michiru replied, hugging her much more gently. Ami had not slept at all in the past two days. Instead, she had first been helping in the aftermath, and following that prepping everything that was needed for this journey.

"The coordinates toward the nearest fragment are programmed into CO-III's computer." Ami replied. "That's all I could get a lock on. Beyond that, it'll be up to you two.

Makoto was next. "I made a batch of cookies for you two. They're stowed on the ship with the rest of your supplies."

"I'll have to make sure Haruka doesn't eat them all in one go." Michiru smiled as they embraced.

"I'll miss you two and everything you've taught me over the years." Makoto replied. She separated from Michiru and eyed Haruka. "I don't even know what to tell you, you lug."

"Listen little girl," Haruka smirked as she pulled Makoto into a hug, "You've taught us just as much, if not more. And you've made Michiru's cooking more edible."

That earned Haruka a playful smack over the head as smiles broke out among the gathered Senshi. It was easier this way; to go out with laughter instead of the sorrow in knowing they would not see each other for years. Once the laughter died down, Rei spoke up. "What I saw in the fire matched up with Ami's readings." Her eyes fell to the ground, "The fire failed me before…I saw nothing of-"

"Rei," Michiru broke in gently, but her voice was toned to indicate this was the end of the discussion, "I saw nothing and neither did Setsuna."

Rei looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder, meeting Haruka's steady gaze and voice. "Take care of her."

Rei did not need any clarification on who Haruka meant, "Of course." The fire returned to her dark eyes as she hugged the blonde, "I'll be looking out for you two."

Once separating, Rei met Michiru's smile with a slight one of her own. As they embraced, Michiru spoke reassuringly, "Don't be so quick to blame yourself Rei-chan."

Rei answered as they separated, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Finally, the couple eyed their Senshi leader. This time, before Haruka could open her mouth, Minako pulled her into a hug. "Stay strong."

"I know you'll do the same." Haruka responded.

"Thanks for staying with me and trusting me…especially in the beginning." Minako responded, her eyes bright with emotion.

"Look after them, Minako. And look after Setsuna too." Michiru said as hugged the blonde.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure Setsuna participates in at least one team bonding exercise once a week." Minako grinned.

"I don't think I'll question those exercises." Michiru smiled. She paused for a moment, regarding the Inner Senshi. Haruka joined her, looking at their companions with a fond smile. Michiru glanced at her partner, before looking back to the others. She spoke softly, almost a whisper. "Goodbye."

Haruka nodded once, "We'll see you."

They turned, leaving their Inner Senshi companions behind. Before them waited the royal family and the trusted advisors. King Endymion, tall and dashing, had his eyes on them. Neo-Queen Serenity, eternally beautiful in her white gown, stood leaning against her husband and holding the hand of her daughter. Luna and Artemis, comfortable in human form, stood a slight distance away.

The queen squeezed her daughter's hand, catching her attention. "Go with Luna and Artemis and keep Setsuna company."

Usagi nodded her head, turning toward the two cats. Before they could head off, the princess stole one last hug from the couple as Luna and Artemis regarded them.

"It's been an honor you two." Luna said simply.

"Good luck." Artemis added.

Michiru smiled sadly, touched at the heartfelt sentiments, while Haruka nodded her thanks. As she watched the three figures walk over to Setsuna, Haruka could not help but call out, "I expect to see at least one little gray kitten by the time we return!"

Artemis nearly froze; his back hunching up cat-like, while Luna turned her head to shoot back a playful glare.

"Haruka!" Serenity scolded lightly. Her amusement quickly evaporated, as she regarded her Senshi of Uranus and Neptune. She reached out and took a hand from both of them. "Come back to us."

Letting go of their hands, she was quickly engulfed in a tight embrace from Haruka. Michiru, meanwhile, was brought into a hug from the king. As they separated, Endymion opened his mouth to speak, but Michiru held up one finger, effectively silencing him. "No charming and heartbreaking long speeches Endymion."

The king merely smiled, "I'll miss you."

Haruka appeared at Michiru's side and he held out a hand to the blonde. She ignored it, and instead brought him into a hug. "Baka. How long have we known each other now and you just want to give me a handshake?"

"I'll miss you too Haruka."

"You watch out for her."

"You better do the same."

Michiru and Serenity shared a look of exasperated amusement. Serenity shook her head, "Look out for her."

"You do the same for him." Michiru replied as they embraced.

That was it. All that was left was to board the ship. Haruka and Michiru joined hands, sharing a look. They stole one last glance to all those left behind. Setsuna, the princess, Luna, and Artemis watching from the door; the Inner Senshi clustered together near the dock; the royal family, just behind them.

Taking strength from the sight of their family, Haruka whispered to Michiru, "Let's get our hime-chan back."

They boarded the spacecraft. It was quick and entirely anticlimactic. Those left behind watched steadfastly, a confident determination about each of them. A moment later, CO-III hummed to life, hovering off the ground and a wind kicked up from the energy expelling from the ship. The spacecraft slowly began to edge out of the hangar and a final glimpse was caught of Haruka and Michiru through the windshield. They remained at the dock until the spacecraft was completely out of sight. The year was 2478 Common Era or the year 478 Crystal Ascension. It was June Thirtieth and the Queen's 500th birthday.

* * *

Elite Terran Spaceguard Rafa DuMas was having a relatively easy day. So far, there had not been any smugglers, contraband, wanted criminals, or anything of the like attempting to find their way into Earth. He was currently patrolling in the atmosphere above the North Pacific Ocean, enjoying his flight at the high altitudes. He maneuvered his small patrol ship skillfully, catching rays of sunshine. Always ready for an assignment, he was unsurprised when his comlink suddenly beeped in.

"DuMas, we got a UFO coming in off the normal routes. Intercept at 65°09N, 164°72E."

"Affirmative."

Rafa was quick to react, throwing his small ship back a gear and immediately wheeling it around. He was near the coordinates already, and looking out his windshield, spotted the growing dot that marked the UFO. It was rapidly coming closer, and he moved to intercept. Luckily, there was one of the many floating customs docking station not all that far away and he could direct the UFO there.

He found himself gaping as the UFO came into view. It was a ship like nothing he had ever seen before. Its shape was elliptical and it sported curious markings of colors and designs. Shaking off his surprise, he flipped on the lights to his own craft, and drew level with the ship. He circled it once, going underneath and over top of its hull, hoping he drew the attention of its driver and then pulled in front of the UFO. He was pleased to see it followed him as he changed courses to take it to the customs station. The station came into sight, hovering just above the clouds of Earth. It looked fairly busy today; a number of ships were leaving and taking off. He taxied the curious UFO onto a dock on the edge. Exiting his small ship quickly, he approached the powering-down UFO. It hummed briefly, almost singing before dieing off.

Rafa blinked and hesitated near the front of the UFO, uncertain as to the location of the door. He was in for more of a surprise when instead of a door opening somewhere on the ship, a panel slid down, almost window-like, at the side of the vessel. At the same time, the opaque shade across the windshield disappeared, revealing clear glass. He was almost expecting extraterrestrials, and to his surprise the passengers appeared to just be two human women.

One was an attractive lithe blonde. Her eyes, though a piercing green, seemed to shine almost joyously. The other was a stunning aqua-haired woman. She too, seemed to have an undercurrent of exhilaration about her.

At the sight of the two women, Rafa felt a little nervous for reasons he could not quite explian. He played at straightening the collar of his black uniform before striding somewhat confidently over to the now opened panel. He regarded the blonde woman immediately inside. "Ma'am, as a sentient being under her majesty Neo-Queen Serenity, are you aware that you were in violation of Act 1 Rule 7 by not cruising in under normal routes?"

She raised her eyebrows, turning toward the other woman who seemed to be holding back a smile. Rafa sighed, this was just his luck. They were both probably on some sort of new drug from Jupiter.

The blonde turned back to him and smirked. "No. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of that rule."

Rafa frowned at her cheek, but kept his cool. "I need to see your license and vehicle registration. Also, I'm going to need you to fill out a customs form now that I've pulled you over. You'll have to declare anything that is not from Earth."

The blonde turned back toward the other passenger, "He doesn't know us."

The aqua-haired woman smiled just so, "Can you blame him?"

"I don't know…This kind of bothers me. I was hoping we'd still be pretty well known. We're supposed to be in history books."

"Well maybe he just hasn't put two and two together."

"Perhaps," The blonde turned to regard him, "He looks pretty young too. How old are you anyway…" She peered at his nametag, "DuMas-san?"

Rafa was indignant and more than a little puzzled. Last he learned, Japanese honorifics went out of vogue four centuries ago. "I'm 89."

The blonde turned back to the aqua-haired woman, "He's just a kid."

"Hey!" Rafa snapped. He took a breath, and reigned in his temper. "I trained for this job in the Terran Spaceguard for 20 years; I am more than qualified. License and registration now! Open the door to the spacecraft; I'll be performing a search for any illegal items. And if I were you, I'd keep silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law."

"He's got bark, Michiru." The blonde answered.

"Haruka stop teasing him. He's just trying to do his job." The aqua-haired woman reprimanded, but her eyes still shone with amusement.

Rafa kept his face stern, his eyes in a fierce glare. He held out a gloved hand, and gritted, "License and registration please or I'll put you both under arrest."

The blonde, Haruka, turned back to him. "Here's the thing. I don't have a license or registration."

Rafa frowned. This was certainly a turn-around from his low-key day. He growled into his comlink, "This is DuMas at Customs Station B-04 dock 45 with the UFO from earlier. I'm going to need backup."

"Affirmative. Guards on standby at B-04 are on their way." The comlink beeped out.

The aqua-haired woman, Michiru, leaned forward. She gave a sort of winced smile. "DuMas-san, I'm terribly sorry about this. We have a whole ship full of items we'll need to declare for customs. I'm afraid that nothing, even this ship, is from Earth or any of the planet colonies. And unfortunately, we really do not want to go through such a process."

The way she said that sent shivers down Rafa's spine. He found himself holding his stunner gun, but he answered confidently. "You two are going to open the door to this spacecraft and step out, hands on your heads. Do it slowly."

Behind him, he heard the sound of his backup running down the dock toward them. Holding up his hand, Rafa signaled for two to remain at the front of the ship and the rest to follow him. He kept his eyes on Haruka and Michiru until they disappeared into the interior of the spacecraft.

He heard the hiss of a door opening. Luckily it was at the center of the hull, which allowed good positioning for him and the other Guards to take up the defensive. He took the front, ready to move if either should try anything. At the door, Haruka and Michiru stood with their hands not on their heads like he commanded, but at their sides. Both were gripping an odd sort of wand in one hand, while Michiru also held a silver cylindrical container in the other. A bright glow came from under the cap of the container. Rafa, however, found his attention was on what he could see of the inside of the spacecraft.

His mind simply would not process the plethora of items and instruments just in his line of view inside. It was much like the actual ship in that it was nothing that he had never seen before. He swore under his breath, before throwing his attention back onto Haruka and Michiru. Grimacing, he commanded, "Drop everything and put your hands on your head!"

He felt, rather than heard the Guards behind him ready their stunners.

"Do you want to cut the suspense already?" Haruka said with that same confident smirk.

"It would probably be best." Michiru replied.

"Last warning!" Rafa was becoming anxious now, "Drop everything and put your hands on your head!"

"Uranus Eternal Power, Make-up!"

"Neptune Eternal Power, Make-up!"

The area was suddenly swathed in golden and aqua light. For a moment Rafa thought he had died. He felt power sweeping across the dock; more power than he had ever felt before, all emitting from those two. It lasted all of less than a second, but it drove him and all the others to the ground.

Once he recovered, Rafa looked up. Before him stood two Sailor Senshi. Actual Sailor Senshi in all their might and radiance. Then he understood. History lessons from sixty years ago and street legends all rushed in from his memory. Tenoh Haruka, Sailor Uranus and Kaioh Michiru, Sailor Neptune. Oh. Shit.

Rafa kept his head down, suddenly worried and very unsure of how to act. "I-I'm terribly sorry about all this and if I've caused you any offence. I never expected-"

"DuMas-san," Sailor Neptune interrupted kindly, her voice like the ocean, "Don't worry. You were just doing your job; it's understandable. And well, we didn't make it any easier for you did we?"

She directed the last part of her sentence as she approached him toward Sailor Uranus who just shrugged her shoulders. Shaking her head, Neptune offered a gloved hand to help him stand. Hardly believing it, Rafa took the hand and let her pull him to his feet. Just being around her made him feel the power of the sea.

"Now, as you've probably gathered we have an alien ship with quite a few alien souvenirs and gifts…" Sailor Neptune trailed off, looking pointedly at her partner.

"Right! And there's really somewhere else we'd rather be at the moment. We're just going to leave this spacecraft here with all the items inside for the customs to look over. Take your time, but we'd appreciate it if you didn't confiscate everything…Some of those gifts are very important to us." Sailor Uranus spoke like the wind. Though she started off lightheartedly, her tone grew somber at the end of her speech.

"We'll be taking this with us though." Sailor Neptune added, holding up the glowing cylindrical container.

Rafa could only nod in response.

"We're going to borrow one of those." Uranus said, pointing to the docked airbikes used by some Spaceguards. The airbikes were in truth just extremely small airships that could carry up to two passengers and went at incredible speeds. They resembled traditional motorcycles in the style of seating and driving, but we're covered completely with a sleek glass windshield and roof.

"Of-of course! The access code is 7735." Rafa managed to respond. Who was going to deny the planetary Sailor Senshi anything? They were second only to the queen and equal, in some respects, to the king.

Neptune gave a formal bow at the waist, smiling her thanks, before heading over to the nearest airbike. Uranus winked and said cheerily, "Thanks DuMas-san. If you ever have a problem with anything, let us know."

Rafa and the other Guards could only watch dumbfounded as the two Sailor Senshi boarded the airbike, Uranus driving, and took off, leaving Customs Station B-04 behind. Rafa watched them disappear into the clouds in a gradual descent, his eyes wide. "Wow…"

* * *

Neo-Queen Serenity sat anxiously on her throne. Today was the day. She knew it. After 500 years, they would finally be home. Rei had been sensing it for the past year and that feeling had only been getting stronger everyday. Setsuna had seemed predisposed to a happy disposition for the past several weeks and everyone knew that could only be a sign of a good thing. The rest of the Senshi had felt it too, that their family would finally be whole again. And she had known it. She could feel them across the galaxy and she knew it was today they would come home. Now if only she could finish this bit of politics for the day…

The man before her was droning on about revising one of the current air traffic laws. She always tried to listen as best she could, but this was truly trying her attention span. Inwardly, she pouted; usually she did not have to listen to such mundane topics as it was handled at lower levels. Luckily, she currently had Ami, Minako, and Luna in the throne room as well as numerous other aides who would be taking notes.

Keeping her face impassive, she stared at the man before her without really paying attention. Catching movement distantly behind him at the entrance to the throne room, she abruptly stood. The man stumbled in his speech, his words on air traffic trailing off. He instinctively took a step back as the queen stood, wondering if he had said something to upset her. It took him a moment to realize the attention was placed behind him.

Endymion had just entered the throne room. Makoto and Rei, in casual wear, flanked him, followed by Artemis. And behind each of them was a shock of blonde and wavy aqua that identified Haruka and Michiru.

Serenity took one step, then another, and then forgetting all court-protocol, found herself running, hiking up the skirt of her dress to take the necessary long strides. Haruka dashed in front of the others, meeting the queen halfway. They met in a fierce hug, Serenity laughing and crying all at once.

"Odango-atama you're still beautiful after all these years." Haruka said with a wide grin.

"You've finally come back to us!" Serenity cried. Looking over Haruka's shoulder, she caught the delighted gaze of sea-blue eyes. "Michiru!"

Serenity broke free from Haruka and caught Michiru in an embrace. Once they separated, Michiru held up the cylindrical container.

"Is that…?" Serenity asked breathlessly, though she knew the answer.

"Yes." Michiru murmured, smiling beautifully.

Serenity gave a wordless cry of jubilation and caught both the taller women in yet another hug. King Endymion, the Senshi, Luna, and Artemis gathered around them, each of them nothing but smiles. Those gathered in the throne room watched. Most were not old enough to remember the attack 500 years ago that led to Saturn's demise and Uranus and Neptune's subsequent leaving. But they knew the history and legends surrounding the Outer Senshi. Then they were those that had been alive at that time. Whichever the case, all felt the joy at this homecoming.

"Let's go!" Serenity laughed, pulling at both Michiru and Haruka's hands. The queen stopped short. Holding up one hand, she stepped back toward the center of the throne room. With that small gestured, the attention of all those gathered there, fell on her. The normally mild queen, smiled widely, her voice and manner excited. "Go home! Consider the rest of this week a holiday!"

Then she was back among her husband, her Senshi, and her advisors. They left the throne room behind with its now chattering occupants. Serenity led them through the finely decorated hallways, lighthearted conversation abuzz; Haruka and Michiru promised they had many stories to tell from their journey. They took several staircases and more than a few turns all to bring them deep within the Crystal Palace. Finally, they arrived. Awaiting them was not just the crescent moon engraved on the wall, but also Setsuna and the princess.

Setsuna lingered at the wall, a hand placed against it. Her eyes were closed, but there was the barest hint of a smile playing at her face. The Princess Usagi Lady Serenity turned as soon as she heard their voices and footfalls. She was taller now, looking as if she was in her late teens. She held herself more confidently and it was obvious she had matured not just physically. She regarded the party as they arrived, her countenance mellow compared to the others. She first made eye contact with her mother and father and then turned her attention toward Haruka and Michiru amid the group. Michiru was still holding the container of Hotaru's heart crystal. Catching the princess's look, she first studied the container with the glow still emitting from underneath its cap, and then turned back the russet eyes of the princess. Haruka remained silent beside her. "You've matured in our absence Small Lady."

"It's just Lady now." The princess amended. "Your past selves taught me a lot."

"That's good to hear." Haruka responded. She wrapped an arm around Michiru, feeling that the princess had more to say. The others, including the king and queen, kept their distance.

"Though it did cause me some confusion at first…" The princess looked down. "It's strange to think so now, but all that time I thought there was something missing. I could never pinpoint it, but the past taught me. When I came back for the last time, and the enchantment was lifted…it all made sense."

The princess looked up helplessly at them. Her eyes were bright with tears. "I'm so glad your home. And…and I don't know whether to thank you or apologize or…"

A hand on her shoulder stilled the princess. Looking up, she caught Setsuna's deep gaze and encouraging smile. Drawing strength from that benevolent wisdom, Usagi spoke again, this time almost pleadingly. "I just want Hotaru-chan back."

"Us too princess." Haruka said. She turned her attention from Usagi to Setsuna and separating herself from Michiru, smiled. "Setsuna."

"My friends." Setsuna said, including Michiru in that response. She stepped forward, claiming Haruka's hug. "It's good to see you."

It was simply said, but sincerely felt. Turning to Michiru, she embraced the shorter woman, "We have a lot to catch up on."

"We do, but let's save that for later, ne?"

Setsuna's face softened into a smile as they separated, "Hai."

Serenity, sensing that everything that needed to be said immediately had been said, stepped forward. She moved past her Senshi, pausing only a moment to give her daughter's shoulder a squeeze. She placed a hand on the engraved wall and closed her eyes. A moment later, the wall disappeared, leaving an opening to the chamber inside.

Serenity stepped inside first and the others followed, filing in one by one. Endymion stood close to the princess to the side, while the Inner Senshi, Luna, and Artemis remained in the back. The three Outer Senshi hovered at a distance, each of them suddenly uncharacteristically unsure. As they gathered inside, the room lit up magically, revealing the final member of the Sailor Team lying on the crystal table at the far end. She appeared just as she did 500 years ago, even her hair and nails remained the same length. A soft glow permeated the air around her and as Serenity stepped closer, the glow intensified. The queen looked back and her eyes found Haruka and Michiru. She smiled reassuringly and nodded her head. Shaking off whatever irrational uncertainties that had suddenly haunted her, Michiru returned the smile and with a twist of the cap, opened the cylindrical container holding Hotaru's heart crystal.

The radiant object floated out of the container of its own accord. Haruka, standing next to Michiru cupped her hands around it gently, holding it in place. She gazed at it in a sort of wondrous surprise as if after all these years, she still could not quite believe it. She caught Michiru's gaze, and they shared a look mixed with relief, happiness, hope, and above all, love. She started to walk forward, but out of the corner of her eye, spotted Setsuna, standing on the fringe of the group. To the casual observer, Setsuna appeared impassive, but Haruka knew better, even after 500 years. There was a certain light to the garnet eyes, a shining hope that was more associated with their queen, but Setsuna carried it just as well.

"Setsuna." Haruka called.

The Guardian of Time started, somehow surprised. "Hai?"

"Here." Haruka offered the held the heart crystal to her friend.

Setsuna walked over and appraised the heart crystal. Shaking her head, she spoke but one word, "Together."

Haruka smirked and Michiru bit back a smile. Together the three Outer Senshi approached the fourth. Serenity, now at the head of the crystal table, smiled brilliantly as the they gathered around Sailor Saturn's form; Haruka and Michiru on one side of the table, Setsuna on the other. Haruka held out her hands, holding Hotaru's heart crystal over the still form. Michiru and then Setsuna added their own to Haruka's. Serenity, sensing that they were ready, closed her eyes and without any obvious display released Sailor Saturn from her stasis. As the glow left Saturn, the heart crystal seemed to shine even more lustrously. As one, the Outer Senshi guided the wayward crystal downward.

Finally at peace, Haruka gathered Michiru close to her as Sailor Saturn, Tomoe Hotaru, opened her eyes.

**Fin**

**A/N: **I have mixed feelings about this oneshot. It was really ambitious from the get-go, but I still feel as if I could have done better. Please let me know if you have any questions.

This fic assumes the beginning of Crystal Tokyo happens in 2000 on Usagi's 22 birthday. It also assumes Sailor Moon R happens early to mid thirtieth century, and for the purposes of this story, it happens pre 2978. I also assume that Death Phantom gets banished in 2500, so after Haruka and Michiru leave. As a note, Haruka and Michiru arrive back in Crystal Tokyo 2978 and though I never clarified it. Assume it's June 30th, making their journey 500 years and coinciding with Serenity's 1000 birthday.

Is the Ginzuishou not the perfect plot-hole covering device?

Oh, and Michiru's words to Chibiuse about the life in your years and whatnot…Yeah, that's not mine. That's a quote from Abraham Lincoln.

As always, all reviews are appreciated.


	18. The New Year's Resolution

A/N: A New Year's Eve fluff fic that's a little bit late.

I claim complete ignorance to Japanese customs regarding the New Year and New Year's Eve…that being said…well…just read the fic…

**The New Year's Resolution**

By Yavapai

Snow had fallen the past night, building on the already sizeable amount that had been collecting on the ground since Christmas day. The white landscape made for a pretty sight, except along the roadways where work crews had hurriedly pushed it aside, leaving gray mush. Traffic had been hell that morning with many routes blocked off from the snowfall, but now as Haruka cruised home in her Ferrari she found it more to her liking. More roads were open, lessening traffic on the main highways and allowing her to speed at will. Plus it was mid-afternoon, and she did not have to deal with the overload of cars that was rush hour. It was still plenty cold enough for her to keep the top up on the car, which was rare and probably earn her some sort of teasing remark from Michiru.

Taking the final turn into her neighborhood, she shifted her sports car into its lowest gear as the road here was still slick and drove slowly past the picturesque houses covered in snow. There were a few children out playing, wrapped up from head to toe to keep out the chill, as well as a few adults. This was a small, but exclusive neighborhood, and each lot was large, especially considering they were still inside of Tokyo. This translates to money of course, but when there is a pro-racecar driver with about a dozen sponsorships, a worldwide acclaimed artist and violin virtuoso with her own sponsors, and a time guardian who has picked up on the right kind of things to invest in over a few hundred years all living under the same roof, its both affordable and pragmatic to have a little space. Especially when they all happen to be Sailor Senshi.

Turning into the driveway, Haruka coasted the Ferrari past the privacy bushes and short picket fence. She had cleared the driveway that morning when leaving with a discreet "World Shaking" while the rest of the populace was left with shoveling. A smile came to her face as her eyes landed on the sight in the front yard. Hotaru, Michiru, and even Setsuna were more-or-less bundled up and in the process of building a snowman. Haruka shifted her car into park in the middle of the driveway, not bothering to place it in the garage. As she killed the motor and then reached over into the passenger seat to collect her messenger bag crammed with various work items, she missed the quick whispers Setsuna sent to Hotaru. The young teenager grinned and nodded before crouching down with Setsuna, compacting snow into their hands. Michiru stood back with her arms crossed in front of her, a small, knowing smile gracing her features that could have meant hundreds of things.

Haruka finally stepped out of the car, her trench coat and scarf wrapped tight around her, waving toward her family, "Konnichiwa!"

In response she was pelted with two snowballs and received a fit of giggling from Hotaru and the soft laughter of Setsuna. "Hey!"

Haruka was quick on the uptake though. She dropped her messenger bag and scooped a handful of snow, racing toward the guilty duo. Hotaru immediately took off, hiding behind the halfway built snowman. Setsuna quickly donned an impassive mask, crossing her arms in front of her, and staring down the approaching Haruka. Her breath was visible with the challenging words, "You wouldn't dare."

"You did it first." Haruka teased lightly.

Haurka pulled her hand clutching the snowball back, winding up. Setsuna's eyebrows rose accordingly. Haruka paused, eyes narrowing. She suddenly whirled, and released the snowball, hitting the grinning Hotaru dead on from where she was halfway hiding behind the snowman. Hotaru squeaked as the snowball made impact against her shoulder, while Setsuna smirked victoriously. Hotaru ducked down, and made another snowball behind the snowman. Haruka meanwhile dashed over to Michiru, placing the artist between her and Hotaru before making another snowball.

"Hey love." Haruka said with a grin, while placing a quick kiss on Michiru's cheek.

"Don't call me 'love' when you're using me as a human shield." Michiru chided lightly, a playful gleam in her eyes.

As Hotaru popped back up from behind the snowman, she found herself in a stalemate with her Haruka-papa. She frowned, but then shifted her glance over to the still quietly smirking Setsuna and gave a knowing grin. Haruka picked up on it and together they launched their snowballs.

"Hey!" Setsuna said, her smirk gone and replaced with an expression of surprise that melted into a smile. She wiped the snow off her dark pea coat. "Well, I suppose I gloated for a little longer than necessary, but now you've started a war."

Haruka had not wasted time while Setsuna recovered from getting pelted with snowballs. By the time Guardian of Time had finished her declaration of war, Haruka had already made another snowball. Just as she was about to launch it, still debating between targeting Hotaru or Setsuna, she felt a cold, wet, thud hit her square between her shoulder-blades.

She turned slowly as Hotaru and Setsuna started their own mini snowball war, to meet the soft laughter of Michiru. Haruka spoke slowly, drawing out the syllables. "Oh no you didn't."

Michiru smiled innocently, "That's what you get for using me."

"You're such a tool Michiru." Haruka teased.

Michiru gaped, "I can't believe you just called me a tool." She made a little huff of playful disbelief that Haruka found incredibly endearing. Until she got smacked in the face with another snowball courtesy of Michiru.

"That's it." Haruka growled, taking a menacing step forward.

Michiru backed away holding out her hands and laughing. "You know what they say, 'takes one to know one.' And you are definitely more of the tool in this relationship."

"You are dead." Haruka advanced with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Wait, wait!" Michiru laughed, trying to ward off Haruka who still clutched a fistful of snow in one hand. "Don't! Don't or you get the couch tonight!"

"Idle threats won't stop me." Haruka responded as she made a lunged with her free hand. She snared Michiru's wrist as her lover laughed and quickly pulled her against her. Finding herself trapped in Haruka's embrace, Michiru pouted.

"That's not going to work." Haruka said with a grin.

Michiru, ever the bright one, quickly changed tactics. She wrapped her arms around Haruka's neck, and kissed her. Haruka nearly moaned aloud as Michiru did that one thing with her teeth before refocusing on her task. She smiled into the kiss just as she quickly raised an arm and then plunged the snowball in her hand down the front of Michiru's v-neck sweater.

Michiru broke the kiss, giving an uncharacteristic shriek from the sudden cold and wet sensation, drawing the attention of Setsuna and Hotaru. Haruka chuckled as her lover danced around, trying to get the snow out from the front of sweater, hindered by both the jacket and scarf wrapped around her.

By the time Michiru had recovered, Haruka was laughing so hard that she was on the cold ground, grateful for her long trench coat. Hotaru and Setsuna had also concluded what had occurred, laughing all the while. Michiru huffed, straightening her clothes and recovering her normal elegance. "Very funny."

Haruka from her position on the ground gave a handsome grin before climbing to her feet. She walked over to the frowning Michiru, pulling her into a tight embrace. The Senshi of the Seas gave up her angry façade and responded, resting her head against Haruka's shoulder. The blonde leaned in to whisper in Michiru's ear, "Let me make it up to you."

"I think we might be able to work something out." Michiru said with a sultry edge to her voice that sent shivers down Haruka's spine. She walked her fingertips up the front of Haruka's coat. "First, you can run me a hot shower…" Haruka snuck in a kiss, slowly starting to maneuver Michiru back toward the house. "Then you can carry me to bed…" Haruka quickly kissed her again. "But the bed is so lonely and cold, I think I might need you to stay there." Haruka couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face as she claimed another kiss. "Ah, and you can be my date to my sponsor's charity New Year's Eve gala for the Children's Hospital where I will be showcased." Michiru said matter-of-factly, drawing Haruka up short just as the blonde was about to dive in for a kiss.

"New Year's Eve gala? As in actually on New Year's Eve?" Haruka frowned.

"Yes. They called just this afternoon. Why?"

Haruka sighed, "I just heard this today…I have to attend this New Year's Eve party for my own sponsor."

There was a moment of stillness as they stared at each other before they simultaneously spoke, "Do you think you can cancel?"

Haruka bit her bottom lip, "I don't think I can. This is to make sure that they will reenter the contract come February. That's what part of my meeting was about today."

Michiru brow furrowed for a moment, then she nodded, "I can cancel. I'm not under any sponsorship obligations."

Haruka shook her head. "No don't do that."

"But-"

"Michiru, I can see it in your eyes, you want to go. I know you are invested in any charity project for children and you want to play. I think you should go."

"We would have to spend New Year's Eve apart." Michiru responded.

"We can meet up at Rei's afterwards. You know they'll all still be up celebrating." Haruka said.

"This will be the first time we haven't spent a holiday together." Michiru said softly.

"I know," Haruka said, her bare hand cupping Michiru's cheek. "But we'll see each other immediately afterwards."

Michiru's smile shifted into something that looked more like a grimace. "Your hands are freezing." She grabbed Haruka's wrist before rubbing the blonde's bare hand between her own gloved hands. "Don't tell me you were riding with the top down in this weather."

"Of course not." Haruka scoffed, "Even I have my limits."

Michiru laughed, "I suppose you're not completely insufferable." She wrapped one arm around Haruka's waist as the Senshi of the Heavens responded with an arm about her shoulders. They began to walk toward the front-door, paying no attention to Setsuna and Hotaru whose snowball fight had evolved into building another snowman.

Michiru cut her eyes sideways, nudging Haruka gently. "You better save your New Year's kiss for me. Or else."

Haruka grinned, "Or else?"

Michiru shot Haruka a look.

"Of course, of course." Haruka responded, placing a kiss against Michiru's temple. "Now, how about that shower…"

They trudged through the snow toward the front door, until Haruka suddenly went flying face first into the snow. Michiru, immediately whirled, hackles raised and ready to transform, expecting to find a youma or some other monster, but when all she saw was a smugly waving Setsuna and a giggling Hotaru, she broke into a soft laughter.

"Michiru! Tell Haruka-baka she forgot her purse!" Setsuna called, pointing toward the messenger bag still lying near the Ferrari.

Haruka jumped to her feet, brushing the remains of a snowball off the back of her head. She did not miss the note of victory in Setsuna's voice. "How the hell did you just hit me from there!?" She demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Setsuna. "And it's not a purse! It's a messenger bag!" She roared.

Setsuna simply shrugged, before saying something unheard by the couple that sent Hotaru into another fit of giggles.

"I'll go start the shower." Michiru said, amusement playing in her voice as she began to head toward the house.

Haruka, grumbling all the way to her bag, made sure to send plenty of glares directed towards the purposefully ignorant Setsuna and Hotaru.

* * *

A few days later and New Year's Eve was upon them. Snow more or less remained as the cold snap persisted, but it was gradually becoming more icy and dirty without any fresh addition. Haruka and Michiru had waved Setsuna and Hotaru goodbye as they drove off just an hour earlier to head on over to the Hikawa Shrine where the rest of the Senshi team was already gathering. Haruka could have left then as well, but she was putting off making an appearance as much as possible. Though her agent had already called twice, wondering where she was. Haruka was quick to turn off both her cell phone and her pager.

Now she crept up to the doorway of their bedroom, knowing she would find Michiru inside, getting ready for tonight. The door was open, and for a second, Haruka paused, watching her lover within as she leaned against the doorframe. Michiru was garbed in silver dress, slashed with a stripe of deep blue that hugged her slender curves. Its sleeves were about the width of four fingers, and the neckline curved low. A blue cashmere scarf was wrapped around her neck and her feet were encased in silver heels.

"My, my…somebody's dressed to the nines." Haruka said, finding her voice.

Michiru, just placing in an earring with the help of the mirror at her dresser, answered with a warm smile, "You don't look too bad yourself."

Haruka was dressed in black slacks with a matching sports coat that were obviously both expensive and finely tailored. Underneath she wore a white, button-down, high-collared blouse that accentuated her long neck and angular jaw. It was an outfit that despite masculine origins was decidedly feminine and Michiru thoroughly approved.

Turning back to the mirror, she gave herself one last once over before reaching for her favorite bottle of perfume. Haruka was suddenly by her side, leaning over her shoulder to meet Michiru's questioning gaze in the mirror, "Don't put it on, you don't need it."

The corners of Michiru's mouth turned upwards ever so slightly, "Worried, are we? Don't worry, I'll rebuff anyone who so much as looks at me."

Haruka pulled back, pouting, "You were the one who threatened me about saving our New Year's kiss. We made a promise to wait, a resolution if you will. You'll attract attention regardless of perfume. But I wasn't lying, you don't need it. You smell like the sea."

Michiru frowned, looking at the Senshi of the Heavens over her shoulder, "Haruka, have you ever smelt the sea? It smells like salt, garbage, and dead fish most of the time."

Haruka snickered, "I'll give you that."

"Thanks." Michiru said dryly, reaching for her bottle of perfume.

"Don't." Haruka said gently, her demeanor completely changing as she placed her hand on Michiru's shoulder. The artist stilled as Haruka embraced her from behind. "You smell like the sea when you're away from shore, without human influence. When it is a cool day, and a fine spray kicks up off the surface. The real essence of the sea."

Michiru did not reply for a moment. Then she sighed, a satisfied smile coming to her face. "You're such a romantic Haruka."

"It's what I do best. How else would I get all the girls?" Haruka shrugged, a smile breaking out on her face as Michiru sighed again.

Michiru turned around in her arms, her aqua curls falling just so and the skirt of her dress fluttering with the notion. "You just love to bait me, don't you?"

"Of course."

Michiru stole a glance at the bedside alarm clock, "I need to go or I'll be late."

Haruka closed her eyes, leaning in to kiss Michiru goodbye. She froze suddenly as she felt a bit of pressure on the tip of her nose. She opened her eyes, going cross-eyed to stare at the object on her nose, only to find Michiru's index finger resting there. A puzzled green gaze met amused sea-blue. Michiru tapped her finger against Haruka's nose, "You'll smudge my lipstick."

Haruka scowled. "You can put some back on."

"No, you'll just have to wait till after midnight." Michiru said lightly. With that, she slid out from Haruka's arms, grabbed her silver clutch purse and long coat that were lying on the bed, and was out the bedroom door.

Haruka stuck her hands in her pockets and sighed, shaking her head, in exasperation and amusement.

* * *

"Tenoh-san! Look right here!"

Haruka flashed a smile for the party's cameraman, paying no heed to the two women who suddenly appeared at either elbow for the picture. She sighed as both the women and the cameraman vanished among the other guests. Without Michiru, she was completely and totally bored. Her interest in the party and its important guests had faded long before midnight, yet she knew her presence was needed to ensure her sponsor's continuing support.

She had spent all of five minutes with the people she had been forced to make a showing for. According to them, her sponsorship renewal was in the bag. Yet as soon as she parted ways with them, her agent was right by her side telling her not to leave. She had to show that she was appreciating her host's party or so her agent said. She scowled at him, but he disappeared among the crowd. He made himself known every once and awhile, sending her pointed looks, which she appropriately ignored. Such was business.

The party atmosphere was nice enough, done in a theme of gold. The party was being held in one of the numerous illustrious Tokyo nightclubs, meant for the rich and famous. There was a champagne fountain and plenty of hor d'evaours. Her sponsor's emblem decorated near everything and a DJ spun tunes from over in a corner. Haruka passed time talking with CEOs, a few actors and musicians, and a couple of famous athletes, but it was nothing she had not seen before. Possibly the worst moment was when one well-to-do couple she had been talking to had brought up Michiru. Well, it was more like she was being talked at…

"Why, Tenoh-san, I'm surprised that you are not with Kaioh-san tonight." Filthy-rich husband said.

"We're actually getting ready to go to that gala to hear her perform. This party is nice, but it's nothing special." Filthy-rich heiress added.

"Though the wine choice is pretty good, eh Tenoh-san?" Filthy-rich husband said without a moment's pause.

"Oh, darling, I've had better and you'll bore poor Tenoh-san with such a topic." Filthy-rich heiress remarked, "But that charity gala I hear is supposed to be the event of New Year's Eve and when Kaioh-san is playing…"

"You snared a good one Tenoh-san." Filthy-rich husband waggled his eyebrows.

"Darling, don't be so crude. I swear; he's such a pig sometimes." Filthy-rich heiress said apologetically to Haruka.

"I didn't say anything!" Filthy-rich husband started to protest.

"Oh goodness, look at the time. We better be going or we will miss Kaioh-san's performance. Come along darling. Tenoh-san, it was nice talking with you again." Filthy-rich heiress waved as she pulled her husband away.

After they left, Haruka made a beeline towards the nearest cocktail and downed a colorful concoction in one go. Afterwards she dealt with quite a few more people wanting to talk with her, but she found that it was hard to muster efforts for even a polite smile.

Now the clock was finally almost upon the midnight hour, but Haruka did not care about the buzz of the New Year. All she wanted was for the cheers to start so she could race out to her car and leave this dreadfully dull party. And see Michiru. And get that kiss.

* * *

"Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!"

Michiru edged her way through the crowded room, clutching her violin and trying to discreetly make it to the exit amid all the celebrating guests. Champagne flowed freely and kisses were exchanged, while the sound of fireworks could be heard from outside. All Michiru wanted to do was make her escape without being noticed. Alas, it was not meant to be.

"Kaioh-san!" The boisterous voice was heard easily even over the crowd as the host suddenly appeared by her side. He leaned in to place a kiss against her cheek, but Michiru deftly avoided him.

"I have to be going! It was an honor to play here tonight!" She yelled to be heard over the noise as he came to stand by her.

"Not leaving already? But the party's just getting started and I had some people that wanted to meet you."

Michiru gave a polite smile, "Maybe another time. I really need to be going."

Her host had already disappeared back into the crowd, presumably to get whoever wanted to meet her. She started to slowly edge toward the doors, mindful of the host somehow making a reappearance with other guests in tow. But the host's presence had already drawn attention to her and she did not get very far.

"Kaioh-san, happy New Year!" One couple said simultaneously. Luckily neither of them moved to kiss her on the cheek, or otherwise, and Michiru waved them off with a polite smile.

She kept moving, noticing a few more people that made note of her and started to make their way to intercept her. She picked up the pace, noticing that one of those was a nice, yet very talkative middle-aged man (his name escaped her at the moment) that came to nearly all her performances. A clear route suddenly appeared amidst the celebrating guests and Michiru quickly moved to take it.

A server, dressed in a black suit with a tray full of empty glasses, stepped immediately into her path just after a few paces. Michiru had the reaction of a trained warrior, high heels and all. The server's eyes went wide as he saw they would have a collision. Michiru swiveled on one heel and ducked slightly. Her back hit his side, and she continued her turning motion, one arm going to support the tray of champagne glasses, the other, also holding the violin, wrapping around his waist so the server turned with her. They made a full 180 before Michiru let go, able to continue on her path. The waiter, was left stunned, but he found that he came out of the ordeal unscathed and still holding the tray. He blinked rapidly, "That was Kaioh-sama…"

Michiru came out of the smoothly executed maneuver, only to collide into a tuxedoed chest. Her violin got wedged awkwardly between their legs. The man made a grunt, but arms closed around her. Michiru, instead of being stunned, sighed and mumbled, "Are you kidding me?"

"Alright there Kaioh-san?" That smooth alto lilt was unfortunately familiar.

She nearly groaned. As hands went to her shoulders, pushing her gently back, her fears were affirmed. It was Kamiya-san, a man that she was well-acquainted with, having met a few times before as well spending a bit of time with him when she had first arrived at the party. He was good-looking in a sophisticated, urbane sort of way. A man that her parents would have thoroughly approved of, which automatically sent whatever appeal he may have had going for him plummeting.

"Just fine Kamiya-san. I really must be going though, so if you'll excuse me." Michiru said.

Kamiya didn't seem to be listening. He was leaning in, whispering, "Happy New Year Michiru-san."

Michiru was in a position of trying to suspend her disbelief. Around her there was a sudden swelling of music from the live band that had replaced her and fireworks were still going off in the distance. The people around them had given them space, whispering that it was the beautiful violinist Kaioh Michiru and the debonair and wealthy Kamiya Takezo.

Takezo closed his eyes and Michiru found her gaze resting on his pale lips coming ever closer. It all seemed to be happening in dreadfully slow motion and Michiru felt her face distort in distaste. No…distaste is too mild of an adjective. Michirul felt her face screw in disgust.

"Oh, hell no."

Instead of receiving the soft kiss he had envisioned, Kamiya went into near shock hearing Michiru curse softly and more acutely, felt a smooth hand on his face, halting his progress. Then he was on the floor, and there was a click of high heeled shoes and twirl of a dress as Michiru stepped over him. Kamiya was not quite sure how he ended up on the floor and lay their stunned.

Michiru found the whispering had suddenly turned against Kamiya as the crowd all the sudden seemed to remember that Michiru already had Haruka and Kamiya was an asserting, disgusting snob. The Senshi of the Seas' eyes shifted from side to side eyeing the crowd that was now casting evil looks at Kamiya. Chalking the situation up to too much champagne and the New Year's atmosphere, Michiru marched toward the doors finally uninterrupted. Perhaps this was due to the sudden cold aura of menace that surrounded her.

She gave a look toward the boy running the makeshift coat check in the foyer. He went wide-eyed and immediately dashed away returning just seconds later with her coat and clutch purse. Remembering herself, Mcihiru smiled gently as the boy handed over her coat. He smiled hesitantly back, but this widened into a genuine grin as Michiru reached into her clutch purse and handed him a wad full of yen.

Then she was off again, exiting into the night and leaving the ritzy hotel where the charity gala had been held. The cold didn't touch her; she was finally on her way to Haruka. She made her way down the steps, her heart light. A man appeared in front of her, bowing graciously.

"I'll return with your car shortly, Kaioh-sama."

The valet. Damnit.

Michiru settled herself to wait a little while longer. "Shimatta, it's cold."

* * *

"Happy New Year Haruka!" The rest of the Senshi plus Mamoru, Luna, and Artemis chimed merrily as Haruka entered the doors of the Hikawa Shrine. Confetti and streamers littered the floor and there were empty glasses all around. Haruka barely had time to take off her jacket before Usagi and Minako near threw themselves at her, cheeks unusually red. Haruka met Rei's eyes as the blondes immediately started squabbling at each other and the miko mimed throwing back a drink.

Haruka's hand met her forehead in exasperation that matched Mamoru's wearied expression before she sought for familiar sea-blue eyes. Instead she found Setsuna's deep crimson orbs. The Guardian of Time shook her head.

Haruka felt her shoulders slump, but before she could dwell on it, Hotaru was hugging her waist. "How was the party?"

"Good." Haruka flashed a smile. "I got the sponsorship again."

"Great!" Hotaru grinned.

"You haven't heard from your Michiru-mama have you?"

"No, she hasn't called or anything."

"And it's already…" Haruka frowned as she looked at her watch, "12:45. And my party was farther away then hers."

Before anything else could be said, Usagi called over to the both of them, "Haruka, Hotaru-chan! We're playing a game! Come join us!"

Haruka and Hotaru shared a look and then headed over to where the others were gathered in a circle on the floor. Hotaru and Haruka settled down on either side of Setsuna and Haruka eyed her grinning princess, amused. "You called, hime-sama?"

Usagi huffed from across the circle, realizing Haruka was teasing her. "We're going to play cards." After finishing those words, Usagi took a sip from the drink she was nursing in her hands before setting the cup down, none to gently, and leaning into Mamoru who was sitting on one side of her, shuffling the cards.

Haruka caught Makoto's gaze who was sitting on the other side of Usagi. Makoto rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Haruka did not need to be told that Usagi had maybe half a glass of champagne and was now drinking some along the lines of sparkling apple juice.

"Sooooo...Haruka. Do we not get New Year kisses?" Minako twittered from her position between Mamoru and Ami, giving a girlish giggle. Artemis groaned aloud, hiding his face behind his paws, ashamed of his 'owner.'

Haruka smirked as Ami, beside her, blushed heavily. "Normally, but I made a promise."

"What is taking Michiru so long anyway?" Rei asked, sitting between Makoto and Hotaru.

"I don't know." Haruka said seriously, "I'm beginning to get worried."

Usagi looked at her with wide compassionate blue eyes. "She'll be here soon." Then she giggled and said in a hushed voice, "Mamoru gave me a New Year's kiss."

"I bet he did." Haruka's smirk returned. She could feel Setsuna shaking with contained laughter besides her as Mamoru struggled to maintain his cool.

"What game are we playing anyway?" Makoto asked as she looked at the cards Mamoru was continually shuffling.

"Strip poker!" Minako yelled.

"How about Old Maid?" Ami said meekly between protests.

Before anything else could be said, there was a sudden blast of cold air as the door opened to the night air.

"Did I hear strip poker?" A lilting voice said from the doorway. Michiru appeared out of the night, bundled up in her coat and scarf. She closed the door behind her and smiled at group gathered on the floor.

Haruka smiled goofily for a moment. Then she was on her feet and at Michiru's side. One arm went around the slender waist, pulling the artist against her. The other hand went up to bury itself in the aqua locks. Michiru's arms were already around her neck. They stared at each other for a moment, sea-blue meeting green.

Michiru smiled softly, "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, love."

And then they finally kissed, eyes fluttering close and bodies pressed close together. It grew into more of a kiss meant to be shared in privacy, but both did not care at this point. Michiru's body curved upwards as Haruka supported more of her weight, arms about each other. A passionate relief taking hold as they kissed fiercely one moment and gently the next. Finally, they separated, love and affection etched in their whole bearing.

"What took you so long?" Haruka asked.

"You don't want to know." Michiru replied. "It was really just a lot of little things, but I'll tell you about it later."

Haruka led Michiru to settle down in the circle amidst the smirking and embarrassed friends and exasperated family. No one said anything. They just eyed the couple as Michiru pretended like nothing had happened while Haruka sat there slightly smug. Except for Usagi, who turned toward Mamoru, "Why can't you kiss me like that Mamo-chan?"

**Fin**

A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Here's hoping 2008 won't be too shabby.

All reviews are appreciated!


	19. Just a Day

A/N: This is a bit of an experiment with writing in a different tense. I do apologize if it's boring or sickenly fluffy…

**Just a Day**

By Yavapai

Just when the beginnings of sunlight start to edge above the horizon, Haruka wakes, no matter how little sleep she received the night before. She might have a chance for a lazy afternoon nap later in the day anyway.

She stretches, sighing pleasantly as her muscles awaken. Then she gently rolls out of bed, careful not to disturb the slumbering form of her partner. She pads to the bathroom with only a whispering of sound, closing the door behind her. Michiru wakes briefly at the noise, but she is never conscious long enough to register the artificial light seeping through the doorway.

Haruka emerges again minutes later, looking considerably more awake after washing her face and brushing her teeth. Despite the greater clarity to her eyes, her sandy blonde hair remains in general disarray, the locks falling wildly. Haruka stretches once more as she exits the bathroom, staring at the young woman still curled up in their bed with aqua curls messily splayed across the pillows. Michiru looks so small alone in the rather grand bed and Haruka almost crawls back under the sheets with such an invitation. She resists and navigates the still dark room toward her dresser.

She pulls out running shorts, a T-shirt, a sports bra, and hopefully matching socks. She sheds the tank top she slept in, and struggles into the bra and T-Shirt. Then she pulls the shorts over her bare legs and slips on the socks while standing. Finished with dressing, she tiptoes to the bed. Gently, she places a hand on one side of Michiru's body to steady herself and grips the headboard with the other. She leans down and places a lingering kiss against Michiru's temple. She smiles slightly as her girlfriend mumbles something in her sleep and then Haruka slips out of their bedroom for her morning run.

* * *

The alarm clock goes off at 8:00 am. Michiru stirs and almost presses the snooze button. She never actually does. Rolling onto her back, she brushes her hair out of her face. She thinks that lying in bed for a couple of hours is a good plan, but after a moment she gets up and makes it the bathroom. As she washes her face, her thoughts have already bounded to the day ahead.

When she emerges out of the bedroom only thirty minutes later completely immaculate, Hotaru is already gone to school and Setsuna to work. But Haruka is waiting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a smile to start her day.

* * *

Haruka gets out of her 11:00 a.m. lecture at 11:50 and she has ten minutes to make it to Setsuna's office so they can go for lunch. It's a short walk from campus to the small office Setsuna has set up for her fashion designing expenditure. Haruka subconsciously makes the journey, barely registering the people and traffic around her. Her thoughts turn toward her housemate's most recent pursuit with a touch of amusement. Setsuna, the Guardian of Time (and a physics major in some incarnation or another), was a school nurse a mere year ago wearing that awful lavender business suit with the red tie. Now she has the beginnings of a successful business in fashion.

Haruka snickers to herself at the memory of that business suit, wondering if it originated from the same place as Mamoru's green sports jacket.

She's almost to the office when she rocks back to the present at a flash of aqua tresses. She knows it's not Michiru, who is holed up in one of the university's studios from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. with faculty anxious to get something out of the student they paid to attend their university and use their facilities, but Haruka finds herself focusing on the aqua color despite knowing better. As always, she's disappointed; it's merely a girl with a really good dye job and her hair's not even wavy.

As this girl passes by, the corners of Haruka's lips involuntarily turn upwards in the slightest of smiles. The girl blushes prettily, feeling the handsome stranger's gaze on her even as she passes amidst all the others crowded onto the sidewalk. But Haruka's focus is far from the girl with the good hair dye job; instead, her thoughts rest on her fingers running through the real thing.

* * *

Michiru is pleased when she escapes from the studio she had been confined in for the past three hours. It's no secret; she is an artist. She loves to create and transform on canvas or the strings of the violin, but not with professors breathing down the back of her neck.

Ami waits outside the university's fine arts center for her, having made the walk from the adjacent pre-med building. Despite Ami's demure stance, she is easy for Michiru to find as all the Senshi are.

She shifts her gym bag on her shoulder in order to give a friendly wave, juggling her violin case and tote in the other arm, and somehow managing to look elegant while doing so. Ami smiles and bends down to pick up her own gym bag, meeting Michiru halfway. Pleasantries are exchanged, and they immediately head off to their favorite cafe for some light fare before their swim.

Michiru relaxes, having escaped the hounding professors for better company. Though Ami is certainly timid at first glance, her conversation always proves engaging and surprisingly candid. They talk between mouthfuls until Michiru's attention falls onto the silver watch dangling from Ami's wrist when it issues a low beep, signaling the half-hour.

Conversation stalls as Michiru's eyes fall onto the wristwatch and her focus is inexplicably stolen from Ami and the café.

It's 1:30, Michiru realizes at the beep. Haruka should be practicing at the track, absolutely absorbed into her element and exquisitely alive. She smiles, visualizing this image into a painting, oil-stained racing suit and all.

Ami clears her throat and Michiru snaps back to attention, apologizing. Ami shakes her head and smiles gently, taking an educated guess as to where Michiru's thoughts always go at the beeping of her watch.

* * *

Haruka yells her goodbyes to the crew and is making her way to her car when it hits her. She dashes to her car and speeds to the other side of the parking lot, away from her crew's vehicles. Getting out, she quickly glances around the parking lot, checking for an immediate human presence in the late afternoon sun. Finding none, she gives a sad look to her car and transforms.

She's halfway there when her communicator beeps in and Venus' face appears. She seems somewhat surprised to see Uranus and not Haruka, but that's all the confirmation she needs to know that Haruka is on her way. With a V-sign, Venus signs off, leaving Uranus rolling her eyes good-naturedly in the wake.

The speed of a Senshi in a dead run is astounding, and that of Sailor Uranus, even more so. Though Venus had not seemed over anxiously in the few seconds she had seen her over the communicator, Uranus still itches to get to the battle. Not for the sake of fighting, but for the sake of protecting those important to her. Leaping off of rooftops, she catches a whiff of magical power ahead along with a stench of a youma.

Gritting her teeth in one last burst of speed, Uranus appears on the outskirts of the battle hardly winded. There are blasts of color and magic all around, and she vaguely realizes she is the last to arrive as she procures her Space Sword. She spots the princess with Luna urgently speaking to her though there is too much noise for Uranus to make out the words. Then there is a flash of aquatic light and Neptune edges into her field of vision. Neptune radiates calm and poise, but Uranus feels the intensity and power underneath the unmarked form.

She lets out a breath she did not know she was holding.

* * *

Neptune stifles a laugh at the Inner Senshi's antics as they leave the battle site. The princess turns around to shout goodbyes to her Outer Senshi, only to be yelled at by Mars. Jupiter then says something that makes both Sailors Moon and Mars freeze and sends Venus into a fit of hysterics. Mercury giggles and silently waves goodbye, ushering the others on in the early evening light.

When Neptune returns her focus to her own little family, Saturn is healing the gaping wound on Uranus' thigh with Pluto watching carefully over her shoulder. The smile melts off Neptune's face, but in all of a minute, Uranus is healed.

Pluto and Saturn vanish to Setsuna's closer car with temporary goodbyes and promises to pick up something for dinner. Neptune's attention rounds fully on her partner still hunkering down on the pavement. She waits for a moment, and then, as expected, Uranus looks up at her with an innocent grin.

Neptune mockingly sighs and holds out her hand. Uranus grips it and allows her partner to pull her to her feet. Neptune unabashedly scans her up and down and then pokes her thigh where the wound was just minutes ago. Uranus winces at the sudden jab, but gets the message: there is no need to be blindly heroic and rush into battle.

Neptune pats her on the cheek with one gloved hand and then takes off running. She leaps up a three-story building and begins to make her way to the track and Haruka's car. She feels Uranus' eyes on her from behind, and she smiles to herself, knowing that her partner could easily catch up to her if she wanted to.

* * *

With a content sigh, Haruka sinks down on the couch in the living room. She glances up and out one of the windows, and smiles at the moon in full view in the otherwise dark sky. Returning her attention to the living room, she flicks on the television and channel surfs. Setsuna, who is curled up in an overstuff armchair with a binder and a pencil, glances up for a moment out of curiosity and finding nothing to merit her immediate attention, returns to sketching more designs. Michiru comes in a second later with a cup of tea and a thick book. She sits on the couch just next to Haruka, book on her lap and tea in one hand.

Haruka leaves the television on a nameless sitcom, finding nothing else she prefers to watch. She places the remote on the coffee table in front of her and then settles back on the couch, wrapping an arm around Michiru.

At a commercial, she glances down to see what Michiru is reading. She blanches as she realizes that her girlfriend is being studious and keeping up with her work for college; though she knows that Michiru does not even have to study to stay on top of her classes. Haruka has her own work to do for class, but this is not the first time she has procrastinated. It is easy for her to conclude that she can wait to study. Happy with her rationalization, she kisses Michiru's cheek and returns to her sitcom.

* * *

Michiru looks up from her textbook as Hotaru enters the room with a grin, obviously complete with her homework for the day. She's wielding a deck of playing cards in one of her hands and before Michiru knows it, they're all playing a surprisingly raucous game of Dai Hin Min.

Next to her, Hotaru giggles at a face Haruka makes as she receives two of Setsuna's bad cards and has to give up her best ones. But the giggling stops as Hotaru receives a bad card from Michiru and she reluctantly hands over her best card, pouting all the while. They finish out the round with just Hotaru and Michiru exchanging places and decide to end it there. They all have things to accomplish tomorrow and the clock in the living room is quickly approaching 11:00 p.m..

Hotaru bids them goodnight and disappears upstairs. Michiru watches her go, happily noting the innate cheerful disposition. They all believe Hotaru has matured wonderfully into her first year of high school.

Setsuna gathers her work materials and with her own mysterious smile, says goodnight. Michiru and Haruka both know she's going to the room they had converted into Setsuna's office instead of to bed. A lot has changed since Galaxia's defeat, but Setsuna's almost nonexistent need for sleep remains.

Michiru begins to collect her empty tea cup, but Haruka shoos her out of the way, sending her on to their bedroom. After spending the day surrounded by people, magic, and unusual activity, she knows Haruka takes pleasure from simple chores like cleaning the kitchen and putting away dishes. Michiru hums to herself, entering their bathroom to prepare for bed. She is aware that for all of the outlandish flirting, charisma, and fighting prowess, Haruka relishes moments of peaceful quiet – but only in small doses.

* * *

With nothing but the moon to cast light, the clock in the living room chimes midnight though Haruka does not hear it. The only thing in her world is Michiru.

A curtain of aqua hair falls over her face as lips meet hers. Their bodies press close together, hands skim across naked skin, and there is heat. Soft lips burn a trail down her skin and she buries her hands into Michiru's hair. Haruka can't seem to catch her breath and she knows only Michiru brings her to such heights. Haruka's not floating, she immersed.

Somehow, she catches her breath, and Michiru's leaning over her with a gentle smile. Haruka thinks she has never looked so beautiful, but as she pushes Michiru against the mattress, she remembers that she thinks that all time.

* * *

The clock in the living room chimes 1:00 a.m. and Michiru hears it distantly. Sleep is overtaking her, and she attempts to curl tighter into Haruka's embrace. Her thoughts are fuzzy, but she knows she's more than content.

Life's no where close to routine for them, but it's just another day.

**Fin**

A/N: Dai Hin Min is the Japanese version of the card game President aka Asshole. I think it was actually the first incarnation of the game.

I hope you enjoyed this oneshot. If nothing else, I suppose, it was good practice in writing in the present tense for me.

All reviews are appreciated!


	20. Seabreeze

A/N: Just a brief note before you can read this oneshot and a much longer one at the bottom. Compared to my others, this oneshot features other couples besides just Haruka/Michiru. I only hope you can enjoy. It's a yuri explosion, but possibly an implosion.

**Seabreeze**

By Yavapai

Neo-Queen Serenity learned long ago that though Uranus and Neptune were plenty strong individually, together they became even more formidable. If you wanted to prove that one plus one does not always equal two, they were the best example to turn to. Serenity would be hard-pressed to say exactly what one plus one equaled in their case, though it was definitely more than two.

Based on fighting strength, it was pragmatic to keep them together. Based on emotional needs and perhaps social stability and infrastructure inside of Crystal Tokyo in lieu of a complete apocalyptic breakdown of a near-utopian society as we know it, it was also sensible to keep them together. However, diplomacy and politics call, and considering that their individual strengths more often than not fell into separate spheres, one was sometimes without the other.

Luckily, Crystal Tokyo had yet to witness the apocalypse and, well, would never at least as far as Serenity was concerned. And you shouldn't have any reason to doubt her. After all, she had love, power, and all things good on her side; not to mention, one, Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time.

That is not to say that everything was exactly perfect in Crystal Tokyo. In fact, currently it was much less near-utopian than normal. And she would much prefer to have Neptune back in Crystal Tokyo and not in South America trying to convince the Royal Brazilian Empire it was not in their best interest to be doing…well, a number of things. Neptune had been there a while now, and between the rainforest, fossil fuels, import taxes, poverty, guerilla warfare, and what was apparently a very large snake in the Amazon, it sounded like she would be there for awhile. As the only Senshi not tied up in any other projects at the moment, Jupiter had joined her just a week ago to provide some diplomatic backup and perhaps flex a little muscle to help move things along. But that was before their current problem made itself known.

Staring out into Crystal Tokyo from her private balcony, Neo-Queen Serenity gave an uncharacteristic weary sigh. Her expression softened as she felt a hand on her shoulder, but she was long past the days where she could lie in his arms and pretend all her troubles disappear. Not that she ever could really do that much in the first place. Nor did she particularly miss those days now.

"Endymion…"

"Serenity, come inside, you need to eat something. We can't do anything in this moment anyway." Endymion replied with concern.

"I never expected everything to fall into place all nice and easy, but I thought it would be easier than this…easier with everyone here." He would always be her confidant, and her first love, so it was easy for her to lean back against him and enjoy the brief moment of security his arms offered.

"Hey now…it hasn't quite gotten that bad yet." Endymion replied.

Serenity made a vague noise of agreement before switching topics, "Where's Chibiusa?"

"Hotaru's watching her in the nursery."

Serenity allowed herself a faint smile. "She couldn't be in better hands then." She leveled one last look at her city before turning around. "Alright then." She stood on her toes and allowed her lips to graze his cheek. "Could you get me something light from the kitchen?" She smiled and slipped out of his embrace.

He turned, watching her wryly. "Something light? Still trying to lose that baby fat from Chibiusa? And where exactly are you going?"

Serenity pouted, "Mamo-chan!"

He smiled fondly, "I know, I know. Chibiusa was just a very, very healthy baby. Don't worry, Usa-ko, you'll always be beautiful." It was so easy to fall back to those names.

"Hmph. I'm almost back to my pre-pregnant weight. Ami says just another week on the diet. Can you get my food delivered to our room? I'm going to go find the others. They're…" Her brow furrowed, "planning something."

"So I'll see you later tonight then?" Endymion asked.

"You should. Unless…" Serenity trailed off.

He understood and nodded his head. He had always known and it wasn't hard to resign himself to his fate. He would love her no matter what she did and always offer a safe place to come to. And hey, being the neo-king was a pretty good deal. Most of the hard-work fell onto his wife and the Senshi and if she wanted to run off with…well, let's just say he was fine with it. He was always a chill guy anyway.

Serenity let her smile slip away as she left Endymion, pressure immediately returning to her slim shoulders. She slipped through their spacious, private apartments and into the busy hallways and corridors. With her thoughts on the drama that always seemed to clip her heels since listening to a talking cat (whose idea was that anyway?), she followed her instincts to where her remaining Senshi would be. And that was up.

Thank god for the smooth and quick lifts that covered nearly all floors of Crystal Palace. She did have to take a couple of flights of stairs to reach her final destination and they nearly did her in. A single door opened to the highest terrace, offering a view that surpassed all the other views of the city the palace offered, including the one she shared with Endymion. Height did have its advantages besides making her winded.

It was almost completely dark now, but the palace itself glowed ethereally, casting light onto the terrace. The city twinkled around her, extending for kilometers in all directions. It was a nice evening with just a hint of natural breeze, and her remaining Senshi were gathered here, Pluto, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Uranus, assumingly taking in the pleasant nightfall. They all looked up as she burst onto the scene, long hair flying, face red from running up the couple of flights of stairs, and determination etched onto her face. Serenity opened her mouth, ready to proclaim a whole speech on the spot, but promptly closed it as she took in the sight before her.

Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Pluto were seated at the table, playing cards in hand (Serenity could see that Venus had a great trick) and drinks spread around. Uranus was leaning casually against the low parapet that was the only thing that separated her from a very, very long fall.

The three Inner Senshi exchanged startled glances, while Pluto gazed coolly at the queen, the corners of her turning ever so slightly upward. Mercury was the first to speak, cocking her head to the side. "Usagi-chan, is everything alright? You didn't run up those last steps, did you? It's still best to avoid any strenuous activity so soon after Chibiusa's birth."

"I didn't run! And that's beside the point!" Serenity exclaimed, flustered. She took a deep breath and settled down. "Don't think this little card game fools me. I'm not that ignorant!"

Uranus looked over her shoulder and smirked as Neo-Queen Serenity pouted defiantly at her closest friends. Pluto leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her drink, leaving the floor open for whoever decided to make a stand. She watched with amused crimson eyes as Mercury, Mars, and Venus fumbled along.

"Of course not Usagi-chan." Venus answered after a moment, putting on a blinding smile. "We all know you like to play card games, isn't that right everyone?"

Mars and Mercury nodded their heads, going along with their companion. Pluto took another sip of her drink.

"Isn't that right, Setsuna, dear?" Venus turned toward Pluto, smiling forcefully.

"Why, I believe so." Pluto answered, the corners of her mouth twitching upward slightly more.

"What are you planning?" Serenity asked slowly, this time displaying some of that maturity that came with being queen.

"Nothing." Mars answered, nonchalantly playing a couple of cards in hand to take the trick.

Serenity glided forwards slowly, her blue eyes on Mars. With the queen's attention upon her, the Senshi of Fire was helpless to the vision of Serenity. Mars visibly gulped as Serenity placed both her hands on either side of her face, and stared deeply into her dark eyes.

"Rei-chan…" Serenity murmured. This time displaying some of that other kind of maturity.

Venus groaned throwing her cards down on the table, knowing that Serenity had won. "Dirty tricks." She grumbled as Pluto placed a consoling hand on her back. Mercury remained silent, worry flitting across her face.

Mars opened her mouth, and then closed it, before opening it hesitatingly once again. Before she could speak, though, Uranus beat her to it. "We're going to settle this…problem tomorrow."

Serenity released her hold on Mars, straightening up. Mercury and Venus avoided her gaze, while Mars met her eyes briefly (apologetically?) before looking away. Pluto stared back, crimson eyes boring into hers, and Uranus? Uranus had turned back to the view of the city.

"I thought we agreed that you would all stay out of this." Serenity said.

"The city defenses were almost breached today. We don't have the luxury of sitting back because of our own…fears anymore." Uranus stated.

Pluto's steady gaze flickered for a moment and she shuddered lightly, murmuring something under her breath. Her attention quickly swiveled over to Venus who had grabbed her hand and was gripping it _hard_. Bear with it Pluto, but, damn, did Venus have a strong grip.

Mercury looked highly uncomfortable, but she spoke steadily. "We need to secure the nuclear waste in any case. I'm sorry everyone. I didn't even think of the possibility of someone stealing nuclear waste before it could be broken down. I should have had someone look over the defenses of the facilities a long time ago…"

"No Ami-chan. None of us ever thought about it." Venus said.

Mercury frowned, but nodded her head sheepishly.

Serenity was not convinced, "I'm still not convinced."

Uranus sighed, shoulders slumping. "That guy has been sitting outside the walls for four days now. Our security force is formidable, but they're in over their heads. The only reason the defenses weren't breached was because of some lucky fall-back tactics."

"Do you really feel like this is only option?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah." Uranus answered. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

Serenity stood still for a moment, staring at her Senshi, before pulling another chair up to the table. "Alright." She sighed, "Deal me in."

"Eh? Usagi, this is a four person game." Mars replied, a fleeting grin dancing across her face.

Serenity pouted, "Rei-chan, I want to play."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine." Serenity grumbled.

"Did you seriously just give up that easily?" Mars said wickedly, violet eyes flashing. "We're almost done anyway."

"…I'm more interested in hearing the battle-plan for tomorrow." Serenity replied. "I'll contact Michiru and Makoto a little later tonight. Goodness, if I knew you had this crazy idea, I would have had them here yesterday."

"Don't tell them." Uranus said.

"Haruka?" Serenity raised her eyebrows.

"They don't need to worry. They have a full plate already and not everyone can shovel it down as fast as you. We can handle it."

Serenity studied Uranus, blue eyes catching something…

The card game ended just ten minutes later and Serenity was filled in on all the details. Mercury stood and took a quick exit, more than likely heading off to her lab than to bed, especially without Jupiter here. Venus pulled Pluto to her fleet, forcefully escorting her to the door waving goodnight happily. Mars helped the queen stand, receiving a brief kiss on the cheek in return. "Wait for me at the elevator Rei-chan?"

Mars shifted her gaze to Uranus before nodding her head and taking her leave with a quirk of the lips.

"Just you and me, koneko-chan?" Uranus smirked, facing Serenity.

"Oh, stop it." Serenity said. "You haven't seen Michiru in a while?" The question was evident.

Uranus sighed, "Not since she left, when was it? A month ago? The days blur together. You know we try not to talk to each when one of us is a way for business. Besides the obligatory 'I'm still alive' update. It's better for everyone if we avoid such distractions. Not that we aren't professional enough."

"Of course."

"Just when one of us, usually Michiru, is off politicking something fierce, it's better to avoid any chance for distraction…" Uranus trailed off, mumbling something under her breath.

"Hmm? What was that Haruka?" Serenity grinned as if Mercury told her she should go on a strict diet of chocolate and ice-cream.

"And temptations." Uranus grumbled.

"Ah." Serenity replied, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously.

Uranus eyed her with a curious expression, "I can pretend you're still cute, innocent, and pure koneko-chan…until you react like that. And then I remember you're Serenity and bedding Rei _and_ Mamoru." For Uranus, Endymion would always come second.

This did elicit a blush, but Serenity ignored her, clearing her throat and returning to the previous matter. "We've had this conversation before. I know Michiru is gone a lot because of me."

"Because of the promise of happiness and peace you've created. We have eternity." Uranus replied.

"There's nothing like the present." Serenity retorted quickly.

"Michiru has her duties and I have mine. We will both protect this peace with every fiber of our being. Sacrifices are made."

Something in Uranus's face, cold eyes and stony expression, harkened the queen back to the days when Uranus and Neptune, Haruka and Michiru, were seemingly impossibly perfect, distant strangers. The world was a much different place then. Goes to show you what a few powwow sleepovers filled with junk-food can do. Oh, and maybe fighting off enemies together. Perhaps saving the world together and maybe dying for her helped a little bit too.

"Crystal Tokyo is a world without sacrifices." Neo-Queen Serenity replied calmly, her voice laced with sincerity and compassion.

"It isn't yet." Uranus replied with a hard-edge. But whatever was in her face melted, leaving behind a woman who has seen and believes in the possibilities for the future. And perhaps she has gone a little soft with all that love the queen liked to give out. But hell, even Pluto's gone soft, frolicking around with Venus. "But it will be."

Serenity smiled and took in the moment. Standing side-by-side, they watched Crystal Tokyo's lights flicker and dance below them before Serenity spoke. "It's a shame that teleporting too much is such a strain on the body, both physically and Senshi power-wise. Otherwise, things could be quite easier for everybody."

Uranus smirked, "Overindulgence in anything is not healthy, and unfortunately that includes teleporting." She cleared her throat and continued on dryly, "And you mean things would be much easier for yourself especially, what with having to deal with a moody, lonely Senshi every time a lover is away. You'll probably have to have this same conversation with Ami next week."

"You make me sound so selfish!" Serenity pouted, more Usagi than Neo-Queen.

"Usagi, you are the least selfish person in existence." Uranus said. "Well, shall we head down? I know a certain Lady Mars is waiting for you."

Serenity blushed. "If she hasn't grown impatient and left."

They walked toward the door, leaving the view of Crystal Tokyo and the terrace behind. As Uranus held open the door, Serenity couldn't help but voice her concerns one last time. "Are you sure you don't want me to tell Michiru and Makoto."

"Yes, I don't want Michiru, or Makoto for that matter, to know what we're getting into tomorrow. It's a good thing they can't just pop over here freely as it is."

* * *

"It's a good thing Haruka can't just teleport over here freely." Neptune remarked to Jupiter, eyeing the smoking carcass of the very large snake. "But that's one problem solved."

"Agreed." Jupiter replied, brushing aside some hair that was stuck to her face as she waded out of the river. "On the bright side, I have a number of plants I want to add to my collection."

"That is, if Ami doesn't kill them." Neptune added lightly, looking into the Deep Aqua Mirror. She frowned at her grimy reflection.

"That was one time!" Jupiter protested, now wringing water out of her skirt.

"Yes, but I recall that you slept in our house for a week afterwards." Neptune smiled, her eyes dancing in amusement.

"That was because I threw her medical textbooks out the window." Jupiter replied meekly. "In retaliation."

Neptune raised an eyebrow.

"At least they didn't hit anybody on the street below. I had never seen Ami so angry before." Jupiter remembered.

"I think she beat me every time we met to swim that week due to that anger, but I…" Neptune paused, glancing curiously into the Mirror.

"What? What is it?" Jupiter asked quickly, looking concerned.

"They never said anything about a very, _very _large snake. Damn. And I have a meeting in three hours."

"Are you kidding me? I was ready to write this off as a problem solved." Jupiter replied, kicking the carcass of the very large snake for good measure.

Neptune made a vague noise of agreement, followed by one of curiosity before looking out of the face of the Mirror and at Jupiter. "Ah, you might want to move…"

Jupiter didn't even get a chance to ask why as the very, _very_ large snake struck lightning fast out of the river. Luckily, Jupiter was familiar enough with lightning to dodge it. She rolled and came up on her feet. "Might want to reschedule that meeting."

* * *

"Hotaru-chan, what's up? You look like you got into a fist-fight and lost pretty bad." Uranus said, noting the deep circles under Saturn's eyes. "I thought I taught you better." She ruffled the other Senshi's hair playfully, much to Saturn's annoyance.

Saturn batted the hand away, and then rubbed at her puffy eyes. Being much taller now, thus older, she did not like it as a general rule when any of the Senshi ruffled her hair. But she especially did not like it now when she was exhausted. "Ask Rei." She replied gruffly, sending the other woman a glare.

Mars, to her credit, flushed a bit. "Endymion apparently fell right to sleep last night and never came to pick up Chibiusa from the nursery. It was late by the time Usagi went to check on her."

"Hmm…I wonder why?" Uranus grinned devilishly. Mars did her best to ignore her.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to start having to charge for babysitting." Saturn grumbled, but this time with a little humor. "She was hungry, and tired, and wanted to see a parent for a good while before Usagi arrived."

"We do have nursemaids on staff at all hours if you ever get tired of watching her again." Mercury remarked, unwittingly embarrassing Saturn.

"I…I know…" Saturn stammered, looking down, cheeks red.

Saturn was saved from possible further embarrassment by Pluto who silently slid into their immediate presence. She shot Saturn a quick, understanding smile, before turning solemn and addressing the group. "Is everyone ready? Minako is on her way back from speaking with the Defense Forces."

"Now or never. I'm not looking forward to this." Uranus replied, gripping the Space Sword tightly.

They were at the outskirts of the Crystal Tokyo, where the land opened up lush and green before them instead of the suburban sprawl that was so familiar before the rise of the Neo-Queen Serenity. Just a half-dozen steps forward and they would pass through the protective shield that separated the capital city from the rest of the world. The shield lived and breathed with the Crystal Palace, existing in tandem, but had to be consciously activated to be used. When raised, it was not even noticeable until it was attempted to be passed through. Then one felt either a warm current pass through their body as it recognized a citizen or physical presence that actively worked as a wall. It was not unbreakable, but it was generally effective at stopping the average threat. Unfortunately what lay before them was not an average threat.

Rather, their current enemy was of the mad scientist variety - not that they haven't had enough of those. The problem lied in the mad scientist getting his hands on nuclear waste and power that had become obsolete since Crystal Tokyo's formation. The majority of nuclear power now sat in facilities waiting to be decomposed by a method Mercury had carefully devised with a little helpful nudging in the right direction by Pluto. Mercury couldn't decide if it was because Pluto was an environmentalist or the fate of the world depended upon it somehow. In any case, the nuclear power was just sitting and waiting in facilities scattered across the island of Japan, and, alas, Mad Scientist had done his homework.

Right now, the green land to the west of Crystal Tokyo was peppered with fighting. Only the first few regiments of the Crystal Tokyo Defense Force were being used to occupy Mad Scientist's forces. The rest were kept aside, waiting for a signal. The Defense Force was composed entirely of humans in comparison to the nuclear and robotic forces of Mad Scientist. Though rather small, the Force's numbers were superior. They were equipped with state of the art technology of both defensive and offensive nature, but they couldn't stand up to the powered army of Mad Scientist. However, as soon as the Sailor Senshi crossed the shield, the battle would begin in full. The Senshi could only assume that Mad Scientist would be waiting for them. They were his entire purpose after all. He would anticipate their presence.

Venus joined their huddle, maintaining composure, "Alright. Haruka? You want to go over your plan one last time?"

Venus was stalling, but Uranus was okay with that for the moment. She shrugged and loosened her grip on the Space Sword. "The Defense Force will be flanking from either side as we hit the middle. They'll keep the majority of their forces in reserve providing back up along the shield. The Special Forces are now behind him, and they'll be moving in as we do. We know the scum doesn't know much about strategy. Hopefully we'll distract him enough so that they'll be able to swoop in and nab him. We all can assume by his actions so far that he's looking for a little glory by taking us out. To bad he's looking in the wrong place." Uranus grinned confidently, but then took a glance out to what awaited them. "I don't think I have to tell you to be on your guard. You all know what each of us might have to face." She grimaced, unable to continue.

A dramatic pause ensued.

Taking a deep breath, and gathering herself, Uranus spoke again with difficulty, "Popular men giving me confessions."

Saturn was next, "Antique lamps…I can't…"

"Cockroaches." Pluto murmured, "Cockroaches."

"Bad fortunes." Mars said with trepidation. "If I hear them…"

Venus closed her eyes, "My mother…"

As for Mercury, no intelligence reports said what fate awaited her. It could only be assumed that Mad Scientist had something waiting in the wings though.

For this was the truth of the matter. Mad Scientist hacked into top secret files and discovered what each of the Sailor Senshi had the most difficulty with, whether it was hate or fear or love that drove it. (Read: Mad Scientist actually merely surfed Sailor Senshi fan websites where he discovered in various interviews what each Senshi hated or feared or treasured.) The next step was to secure a dangerous power supply to make these threats all the more real. This was actually quite easy, considering he had been in the process of unearthing a method of safely decomposing nuclear waste when Sailor Mercury procured a technique, thus he was completely aware of the nuclear power supply.

Mad Scientist, you see, only became a mad scientist because the glory of scientific discovery was always just out of his reach. He would never be remembered because no matter what it was, the infinite nth digit of pi or advanced robotics, one Sailor Mercury, Mizuno Ami was always better. It must be said that this all started in his youth when his 4th grade science fair project lost to Mizuno's molecular atom disrupter at nationals.

An enraged shout echoed across the land to the Senshi, "Damn you, Mizuno Ami! I'll go down in history books one way or another! Glory will yet be mine!"

Mercury winced, "Must he use excessive exclamation points after every proclamation?"

Venus groaned, "You couldn't have just let him beat you in one science fair?"

"I didn't even know!" Mercury replied desperately. "I never meant to…"

"It's okay." Venus sighed, hugging Mercury with one arm. "We know sometimes you're just too smart for your own good."

"Minako." Mars scolded, "Ami-chan, we know you never meant for this to happen. It's hardly your fault."

Uranus cleared her throat, regaining attention. "Mad Scientist's primary force is composed of genetically-altered and nuclear-powered creatures; with a specific legion of cockroaches. He has about 200 humans on his side composed mostly of misled lab assistants, some nutcases, and nuclear-powered clones. Included among the clones is Minako's mother and popular males of the past twenty years. A number of the clones have had ancient fortune telling methods implanted. He also has about two dozen advanced robots in the guise of antique lamps, along with another dozen just of the large, destructive kind. Also of note is a clone of Makoto's 'sempai' – how Mad Scientist figured out his identity we'll never know – and overgrown, animated sea cucumbers."

"Sea cucumbers?" Venus mused. "I still don't get it."

Pluto and Saturn both shook their heads, while Uranus winced at a distant memory, "It's best not to question it too closely. Michiru is rather…sensitive to them."

"That's an understatement." Saturn added knowingly as Pluto shushed her gently.

Venus resigned herself to asking about it later before taking charge. "We all know what's waiting for us out there. I don't think I have to tell you to avoid your weakness at all cost and to only engage what you can handle."

She received tense nods except from Pluto who hovered stoically at her shoulder. If it was not for that fact that Mad Scientist exploited their fears and weaknesses, they would be much more relaxed. Venus had to give him credit; he was not a shabby villain. He did his research on his opponents, to say the least, and he had motivations, however twisted, to pose as a sure threat.

"Alright, no more wasting time. Let's just do this." Uranus said, clenching the Space Sword tightly once more. "I'll show them confession."

"Mars, the signal please?" Venus said, staring out at the spread of green land that was soon to become a battlefield. Somewhere out there, the powered-up clone of her mother awaited her.

Uranus stepped through the shield first; Mars followed sending a blast of fire high into the air. The others were not far behind. The Defense Force charged in from either side, rushing to meet the eclectic forces of Mad Scientist who waited about 500 meters away from the shield. A chaotic battle unfolded before them and then the Sailor Senshi charged in with deceptive speed.

Despite their plans, the battle quickly disintegrated into two parts. The Defense and the tiny Special Forces unit were caught up along the edges, battling the grunts. But they're not the focus here…

The courageous Sailor Senshi, victors of countless battles against impossible odds, dead at least twice and risen again, reincarnations of princesses from a bygone kingdom, the backbone of Crystal Tokyo, famous beautiful warriors, blessed with power, voted most popular heroes for five consecutive years, proven to have the stamina to go all night, given a record number of endorsements, the fantasy of young males (and quite a number of females) everywhere, strict dieters, multitaskers of dynamic proportions, not embarrassed to run around in an outdated sailor fuku, and yes, that is their natural hair color, meanwhile…

"Keep it away! Get it away!" The normally stoic Sailor Pluto screeched as two oversized cockroaches chased her menacingly. She halfway turned and sent a blind Dead Scream back at them, which the monsters skirted around. Stumbling in panic, Pluto shrieked as another cockroach appeared in her path. The nasty creature regarded her, and together the three monsters closed in on a trembling Sailor Pluto.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock! Venus Love-Me Chain!"

The bright blast of energy reeled the mutant cockroaches back and the Sailor Venus came swinging in on her Love-Me Chain. Blonde hair and red ribbon flying, she grabbed Pluto tightly with one arm, pulling her close as she let the momentum carry them past the cockroaches.

Pluto was just as grateful as she was bewildered. And much more composed now that she wasn't being chased by cockroaches. "Where are you swinging from?"

"Oh, just that giant sea cucumber back there." Venus replied as they landed gracefully.

"Thank you." Pluto said sincerely, her eyes warm. They narrowed just as quickly as she fired a Dead Scream, landing a critical blow and destroying an approaching antique lamp robot, before returning to Venus.

"Of course, Setsuna." Venus answered with equal warmth. A lecherous grin appeared on her face, "You can repay me later."

Pluto didn't get a chance to respond as Venus's face paled.

"Minako! So this is where you've been hiding you ungrateful brat!"

The clone of Venus's mother appeared before them, an unpleasant, hateful snarl decorating her face. Venus involuntarily clung to Pluto, who held her protectively with one arm and leveled a cold stare at the clone. It was large and powered up with some sort of nuclear-plasma that it was quick to demonstrate. Pluto jumped aside to dodge the blast, pulling Venus with her.

"Take your punishment, you selfish unpleasant child. You always were more of a pain than a blessing. Always needing this or that. Always demanding. Well, you forgot just exactly who your mother is. It's time for a spanking." The clone launched a series of plasma blast to punctuate her words.

Pluto coughed, a faint blush on her cheeks from the clone's final words.

Venus regained some of her composure as Pluto pulled her away from another blast. The creature was more nasty than selfishly cruel and too large to actually be her mother, but it still looked a lot like her. Venus briefly wondered where Mad Scientist found her mother's DNA.

"Minako…" Pluto's voice was urgent, entering panic mode again. The cockroaches had found her.

"Right…I'll take the cockroaches, you take my mother!" Venus commanded. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

Her shot was dead-on and one of the cockroaches convulsed, all the more grotesquely because of its size. It didn't stop it for long however. Ignoring the ensuing stare-down between her clone mother and Pluto, Venus gritted out, "They just don't die do they? Exactly like the real things."

Pluto felt a hand briefly on her arm, and then it was gone with the words "Good luck!" echoing in her ears. Crimson eyes refused to the leave the clone before her, even as the battle continued around them both. This was a personal matter. "You might not be the real thing, but I still I have a bone to pick with you."

"Oh really?" The clone smiled wildly, plasma gathering in her hands threateningly. Pluto readied herself, the Garnet Rod secure in her hands, brimming with power. Only for the situation to go up in flames.

Literally.

The clone screeched as fire engulfed her, running in a blind panic. Pluto's eyes widened in surprise for the quickest of seconds, but a moment later, she nonchalantly stuck out the Garnet Rod. The clone tripped over its edge, and fell on her face. Pluto didn't even bother to poke the smoking, still body; instead she found the steady and calm Sailor Mars.

Mars waved and gracefully turned, dealing a shot of fire at an approaching cockroach. Really, those nasty things just never seemed to die or go away. She could understand Pluto's aversion to them. Aware of the vulnerability of being caught on any blindsides in a melee battle such as this, Mars kept moving, away from Pluto who was now engaging a set of robots.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Shot and down. It was really second-nature at this point and calling out the attack was merely just from force of habit when it used to help focus. Mars danced through battle like only a warrior of fire could, until…

A crackling voice interrupted her smooth sailing, "The cards read that your doom is nigh!"

"No…" Mars gasped softly, the fluidity of her movements stopping up like a kitchen drain that has seen way too much action.

"The stars and planets align to show that you will be trapped in a spiral of despair!" Another voice, this one husky and, dare we say…mystic.

Rei turned around slowly, knowing, yet fearing, what waited just behind her. The bad fortune-telling clones had found her.

"The fire tells me you will be caught in a watery hell." A voice said that was monotone and deep.

"The crystal ball says that you will have canned asparagus for your final meal!" This voice was wavering and high-pitched, but its words still packed the necessary punch.

"NO!" Mars shouted. "I can't…!" She gasped, somehow unable to catch a breath with the bad fortunes being placed upon her. Any of the others could have brushed this aside and taken out these clones easy as pie. Yet, she was a fire-reader and a practitioner of the mystic, mysterious, and foreseeing. It would be against everything she stood for to ignore fortunes bad or good.

The clones gathered around her, half-a-dozen in all, looking like stereotypical fortune-tellers in wispy robes. One wielded tarot cards, another had their neck cricked back continuously looking up into the clear, blue morning sky, a third held a small crystal ball, one more had a small flame issuing from a lighter, another wielded a tea cup and tea leafs, and a final one held a collection of fortune cookies from a great little Chinese take-out place.

With Mars reeling from the fortunes, the last fortune-teller quickly unwrapped a cookie and cracked it open, procuring the slip of paper inside. It grinned, munching on the cookie as it read the fortune, "He who expects no gratitude shall never be disappointed."

Mars blinked. Wait, where there ever actually any bad fortunes in fortune-cookies? Where there ever actually any fortunes in fortune cookies for that matter?

The other clones seemed to be aware of this for all of them stopped what they were doing to glare at the fortune-telling fortune-cookie clone. Mars picked herself up and made a break for it, desperate to get away from the fortunes. She didn't get far as the clones quickly noticed their prey was missing. The one with the tea leaves quickly read from the cup, calling after the scampering Mars, "True love will forever elude you."

Mars froze at those words, an icy-cold hand gripping her heart. The fortune-tellers came closer, equipped with enough power to take her out.

Luckily, fortune was on her side after all.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Mars grunted as the attack blew by her, catching her ever so slightly and knocking her off her feet. The fortune-telling clones stood no chance despite their genetics and engineering when taking a direct hit from a Sailor Senshi. They each fell, one scattering fortune-cookies in the air, another cradling her tea leafs and cup, and so forth.

Mercury bounded up to her, helping Mars to her feet. "Ah, sorry Rei! Things just looked kind of desperate for you there and I just attacked!"

Ah, so that was her watery hell. But Mars had other things to worry about, "Ami-chan, can you cover me for a second?"

"Um, I'm really trying to find Mad Scientist right now…" Mercury said, but she caught the desperate look in Mars' eye. "But yes, of course!"

That was all Mars needed and she scurried over to the fallen-body of the tea leaf fortune-teller. She pried the cup out of the clone's grasp, fretfully peering at its contents…

And then sighed with great relief.

"True _loathing_ will forever elude me. Whew." Mars sneered down at the clone, "I don't know about that, idiot."

"What was that Rei?" Mercury said between Aqua Rhapsodies.

"Nothing, nothing. Just some bad fortune-telling…" Mars replied trailing off. She turned to Mercury, face pale and all relief gone from her voice and stance. "Ami..." She swallowed.

"Rei, I hate to say this, but I could really use some help." Mercury interrupted politely.

"Ami, they said my last meal was going to be canned asparagus." Mars muttered with a hint of both disgust and despair in her voice.

"Rei, you hate canned asparagus. You never even eat canned asparagus." Mercury reminded gently. She followed up her words with a killer attack that stunned an incoming mutant cockroach.

Mars pondered this for only the briefest of seconds, before smiling slightly, her attention returning to the chaotic battlefield. "True. Mars Flame Sniper!"

Mercury was pleased to see her friend back to normal, but she sighed as Mars jumped back into the fray. Time to find Mad Scientist. This had gone on long enough.

She took off sprinting, determined to find where Mad Scientist was hiding amidst the frenzied, furious battle. Dodging through random attacks and landing her own where she could, Mercury found her path blocked by a near army of radioactive antique lamp robots whose attention was focus on something amidst them. She short-circuited a number of the animated lamps with a simple attack. Really, for being a supposed genius, Mad Scientist didn't plan things through very well; of course something with a power cord would be sensitive to her water-based attacks.

In any case, her attack took down enough of the lamps so that she could peer through them to find what they were focused upon. Saturn sat in the middle of them, biting her lip with trepidation, but thoroughly protected by her Silent Wall.

Mercury instantly knew that Saturn wasn't worried about her situation, but about the lamps themselves. See? This is why it's not good to have odd hobbies.

Though Mercury's odd hobbies had landed them in this mess…but that was beside the point. Just as she was about to initiate a jailbreak for Saturn, a number of the antique lamps shot into the air, broken and defeated.

"Haruka-papa! No! Don't destroy them!" Saturn shouted emotionally.

Mercury decided to remove herself from the situation and get back to finding Mad Scientist. This sounded like a family-affair. Plus it looked like Uranus had everything under control. Judging by Saturn's yells, she didn't want to be on the wrong side of the Senshi of Destruction's mood when everything was said and done. Best to leave that to Uranus.

"Stop Haruka-papa! They're antiques!" Saturn cried.

"It's for your own good Hotaru!" Uranus replied as she ripped off another attack.

"They would have gone away eventually!"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Uranus's voice was soaked with sarcasm.

"I hate you!"

"You'll thank me one day!"

"You don't understand!"

"You'd be surprised!" Uranus answered as she took out the last of the lamps, landing next to Saturn who dropped her shield. Really, Mad Scientist didn't invest much time or energy into his antique lamps besides making them animated.

Saturn glared at her, and then gasped, pupil's dilating in surprise. Years of battling had taught Uranus all the signs and she was already moving as Saturn shouted her name in warning.

The oversized sea cucumber struck where she had just been standing. It was surprisingly fast for such a large creature, and for being, well, a sea cucumber. It was already rearing its head for another strike. Saturn held no qualms about taking this creature out. The monster bounced off her Silent Wall and then she leapt in. With an upward twirl of her Silence Glaive, she landed a precise blow. She jumped away as the sea cucumber thrashed in agony.

Uranus saw her chance and aimed, "World Shaking!" The attack impacted where Saturn's blow had landed. The creature shuddered once, and then collapsed.

"Don't think I've forgotten!" Saturn said as Uranus appeared beside her, an emotional timbre to her voice. "Those priceless antique lamps…They were works of art!"

"Hotaru, listen…"

"Not right now." Saturn replied, looking away. "We're in the middle of a battle." She bounded away with those last words, every inch the Senshi of Ruin as she channeled her emotions elsewhere.

Uranus sighed. It was going to be a long night tonight having to repair that damage.

She was immediately on the offensive again, a blur of death onto Mad Scientist's creations. There was a reason she was the Senshi's best melee fighter. Unfortunately for Uranus, she was slowly being driven into a corner where her worst nightmare waited.

Bounding over a cockroach with a twirl that added a finishing blow, she landed with a smirk, feeling pretty good in her element. As she should have known, and as was apt to happen in a chaotic battle, things can change in a heartbeat. And now Uranus found herself standing amidst powered-up clones of popular male entertainment figures of Crystal Tokyo.

To her left was Toshihiro, a pop idol (Neptune secretly owned a number of his records). To her right was Akira, an actor from a popular teen soap series. There was Kota, an heir who the tabloids rumored was dating Venus until she sat them straight (mostly due to Pluto who would quietly smolder every time his name was mentioned). And damn it; was that a clone of Motoki? Lucky guy struck it big after the founding of Crystal Tokyo when people found out that he was connected with the Neo-Queen and King and, as Uranus would grudgingly admit, wasn't half-bad looking.

And that was just to name a few. There was a virtual army of them and they had her surrounded in a blink of the eye. Uranus gripped the Space Sword tightly, feeling her palms sweat. She had to move, she couldn't wait and sit here and be open and risk a possible confession and then get nailed with a real attack because then she would really be in deep shit.

…Whew, talk about running thoughts.

The clone of Akira stepped forward, the others following suit. "Lady Uranus…

"Move, move, move, move, move." Uranus murmured to herself, her eyes wide in panic.

"I love yo-"

A bright blast of blue exploded into the popular male clones' midst. Uranus raised an arm, protectively shielding her face as another attack followed. And then the scent of the sea and the very presence of Neptune.

"No one confesses to Haruka but me." Neptune said, her melodic voice underlined, italicized, and bolded with steel. With the Aqua Mirror clenched in her fist, the remainder of the popular male clones stood no chance. Any attempts at retaliation were reflected right back at them.

When the last one fell, Neptune turned and gave a simple, beautiful smile. Uranus's heart jumpstarted, her grip on the Space Sword relaxed, and she couldn't help but give a goofy smile in return. Neptune reached out to her with her free hand and pulled Uranus into an embrace. The Senshi of the Winds, still hardly believing her senses, buried her face into that familiar aqua hair, and clung back all the tighter.

Lucky for them, they have good karma. No enemies paid any attention to their reunion even though they were in the middle of the battlefield.

"How?" Was about all Uranus could manage.

"The Mirror was vague, but something was obviously wrong. Makoto and I teleported back to the palace all of fifteen minutes ago." Neptune responded, pulling back from the embrace to look into Uranus's eyes. "We came straight here and I immediately honed in on you, while Makoto went to chase down Ami. Why weren't we informed?"

"We…I wanted to keep you two out of this. The Brazilian Empire was important and things here…" Uranus trailed off, now keeping a wary eye on the chaos around them.

"Haruka, what exactly is going on? I show up and you're being cornered by popular males ready to confess to you. I don't think it needs to be said that those are two of your greatest difficulties." Neptune pressed still trying to make sense of the tumultuous battle. She paused as they were finally taken notice of by a wicked-looking robot. They both leapt away as the robot let an energy blast loose. It ate the earth where they had been standing, kicking up dirt. But the robot stood no chance as Uranus and Neptune went on the offensive, unleashing a series of deadly attacks.

The robot went up in flames rather quickly, and Neptune, brushing off her hands, immediately returned to their previous conversation. "And trust me, I definitely know all about the latter one. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure I saw a giant cockroach as I played hero to your damsel in distress."

Uranus let the last remark slide. "We have a mad scientist character who wants some glory. Apparently Ami's unknowingly beaten him in just about everything over the years and he went a little crazy. Stole a bunch of nuclear waste from some of the deactivating plants and has been working on his little unnatural creations ever since."

"Haruka, don't you think this is a little more pressing than the negotiations in the Brazilian Empire? I still don't understand why you or Serenity couldn't have at least sent us a memo. This mad scientist character does-" Neptune immediately fell strangely silent, her lips parted slightly with her next words. Uranus watched pure loathing and fear wash over Neptune's face and her breath hitch.

Uranus didn't have to turn around to know what was wrong. She reacted instantly, pulling Neptune against her and dashing out of the way as one of the monstrous sea cucumbers crashed into their previous location. Neptune was motionless in her arms except for her eyes, which stayed on the bulbous form of the sea cucumber.

"It's giant…" Neptune murmured in shock. "The sea cucumber."

"Don't look Michiru. Don't look." Uranus responded, guiding Neptune's head to rest against the crook of her neck as she dodged another earth-shaking blow by the monster. She felt Neptune's hand tighten onto the fabric of her sailor fuku, pulling the already tight material taunt

Uranus's mind raced. She couldn't fight like this, and the creature was much faster than expected. She wouldn't leave Neptune either. Not when faced with this.

Salvation came in a blur of green and pink and the cackle of electricity. The sea cucumber was highly susceptible to electrical attacks and it was soon fried to order.

"Don't worry, its dead! Have either of you seen Ami?" Jupiter said as she approached the couple.

Neptune's body was trembling, her breath shallow and face pale. Uranus hated it and hated scarring childhood memories with sea cucumbers (for what other explanation was there?). Neptune was typically unflappable when others would be panicking. Composed and calm in the face of death, pain, and taxes. Except when sea cucumbers were involved (and when a loved one is being threatened, but everybody with even the tiniest bit of love in their heart loses it at that point).

Neptune's eyes jumped to Jupiter and then back on to the blackened body of the sea cucumber. She then slowly pulled back from the Uranus's secure arms and looked into Uranus's eyes.

Uranus smiled, "Hey."

"Hey." Neptune whispered with regained composure.

Uranus kissed her, fingers sliding through wavy hair. She pressed their lips together harder, and felt Neptune react just as strongly, her teeth catching on lips. And then a tongue and a wanton moan that surely would have been the signal for clothes to start coming off if Jupiter hadn't cleared her throat.

They separated and Jupiter rolled her eyes as she let loose an attack on an incoming opponent. Uranus's eyes were hazy and Neptune's heart was hammering again, but this time for all the right reasons. The Senshi of Sea reached up and kissed her once again, briefly, smiling against her lips.

"Thanks for rescuing me." Uranus smirked.

"Dare I even mention the sea cucumber?"

"I'll protect you. I'll always protect you." Uranus responded, a gloved hand caressing Neptune's cheek.

"I trust you."

"And thanks for watching our backs as we make out in the middle of a battle Makoto." Jupiter called out, a slightly bitter edge to her voice, now fighting hand to hand with a powered clone.

"I knew you had us covered." Uranus replied.

Jupiter grunted and landed a point-blank Supreme Thunder into the clone's ribs. Needless to say, that was the end of that one. "So what exactly is going on Haruka? And have either of you seen Ami?"

"We got a mad scientist type Makoto." Neptune said, "But that doesn't explain the popular men with confessions, the giant cockroaches, and," She shuddered, "the sea cucumbers."

"He's got all of our weaknesses and fears pinned down and used some advanced genetics and robotics to build an army. Really, I thought the evil robots were overdone, but he was pretty creative with the clones." Uranus answered.

"How did he figure out our specific…um…difficulties?" Jupiter asked.

"The internet." Uranus said simply.

"Ah."

"Well, that explains it." Neptune replied.

"Ami was going after Mad Scientist. I suggest we find them both and stop this nonsense." Uranus added seriously. Jupiter licked her lips nervously, feeling antsy.

"Let me see if I can't at least get a general idea as to where she is." Neptune said, already peering into the Aqua Mirror. Uranus and Jupiter waited restlessly, eyeing the chaos that was slowly starting to thin out. They caught a flash of blonde on top of a giant cockroach and shared a look, before just shaking their heads in exasperation.

"I got it." Neptune responded.

"Where to?" Jupiter asked, unable to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

"Actually, she's right there." Neptune pointed.

Out of the crowd, Mercury stumbled into their pocket of calm along with the man that could only be Mad Scientist. He was a slight fellow with wild brown hair and, stereotypically, was wearing a lab coat. They didn't appear to be fighting each other, merely glaring at each other in an intense standoff.

"Ami!" Jupiter called, but not loudly enough to be heard by Mercury. She took a few steps, building up to a sprint, only to stop dead in her tracks as a soothing, masculine voice pierced her ears. "Makoto."

Jupiter's eyes went wide, her body tensing. "S-Sempai!"

"Sempai?" Uranus and Neptune echoed. So this was the elusive sempai. Or his clone in any case.

The clone of Jupiter's sempai approached her with a hand held out. "Makoto, I –"

He didn't even get the chance as Jupiter decked him across the face. The clone howled and fell to the ground, holding his face with both hands. Jupiter huffed, "Don't you know I've been over you for years?" She took off running again, calling out for Mercury.

"Huh, well how about that?" Uranus said, poking the whimpering clone with her foot.

"Don't do that, it's like kicking a puppy." Neptune protested. "Clearly Mad Scientist thought his presence would be enough, otherwise he would be up and waving around some sort of nuclear-powered energy right now. Or he just got lazy with this one."

"You always were the smarter of the two of us." Uranus responded lightly. She looked up sharply, feeling a shift in the battle. She quickly analyzed the situation, her instincts proving correct. The Crystal Tokyo Defense Forces were flanking into the area having taken care of the grunts. "Come on, let's go deal with Mad Scientist."

Uranus and Neptune cautiously approached. Mercury and Mad Scientist were still staring each other down and Jupiter was at the sidelines, her eyes furtively darting back and forth between the two combatants.

"What is the time constant for the action potential in a neuron?"

"Ha, too easy Mizuno! You underestimate me! It's the resistance of the membrane times the capacitance of the membrane. What is the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker Model in the general relativity of the shape of the universe?"

Jupiter turned to Uranus and Neptune, slightly jaded, "Neither of them has paid any attention to me. Yet, for some reason…I can't bring myself to intervene…"

Uranus's eyes widened as Mad Scientist and Sailor Mercury fired off question after question and answering without pause. Neptune tried for the more direct approach, "Ami-chan….Ami-chan." Failing to gain Mercury's attention, Neptune furrowed her brow, "Ami!"

"Shh! Don't disturb her!" Jupiter responded, holding out her arm. Her gaze now settled just on Mercury with something akin to awe. Uranus did a double-take and then smirked. Make that something akin to awe and lust.

Granted watching Mercury in her natural habitat was a bit like being dropped in the middle of sub-Saharan Africa without any human presence for miles. You were either amazed and memorized by the magnificence and abilities of life, or overwhelmed in terror and promptly eaten by a pride of lions in the space of five minutes.

"Michiru! Makoto!"

Neptune turned, her eyes lighting up. "Hotaru! You okay?" Saturn threw her arms around Neptune, pulling the other woman into a hug. Neptune still couldn't quite get used to Saturn being at her height. It was as if she blinked one day and Saturn was suddenly tall.

"Yes of course. But what about you? Rei and I just took down the last of the sea cucumbers." Saturn answered, angling her head to Mars who followed behind her.

Neptune's face briefly went pale. "You mean there was more than one?" She shot a look at Uranus, who looked away in faux-ignorance. "Haruka, we're definitely going to have some words later about keeping secrets."

Saturn added her glare to Neptune's, "That's right. I'm still not happy with you either, Haruka."

"That's an upgrade from hate at least." Uranus responded weakly.

"Don't push your luck." Saturn nearly growled.

Mars meanwhile had brushed past all four of them, going straight for Mad Scientist with two fists full of flames. Jupiter just managed to grab her. "Rei, wait!"

"Argh! Come on, let me roast him!" Mars face was dark and fiery and you could almost see the steam coming off of her. "Fortune-tellers. Bad fortune-tellers! I'm going to kill him!"

"Rei, please, let Ami handle him." Jupiter pleaded.

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly the flames in her hands disappeared, the dark cloud passing over her. "Alright." Yes, time with Serenity had only sort of kind of mellowed her temper. She managed a smile in Jupiter's direction though, "Hey Makoto."

Jupiter relaxed her hold on Mars briefly giving a smile before returning her attention to Mercury, "Hey Rei. Long time no see."

Mars hummed an agreement and offered a warm smile to Neptune. "Hello Michiru. Still showing up at just the right time as always?"

"Of course Rei." Neptune responded fondly, "You and I both."

"Hey now, I want to join this little precog club." Uranus pouted, placing her arm around Neptune.

Neptune gave her a wry glance, and teased, "The only club you're joining right now is the doghouse. Besides, reading the wind just doesn't cut it anymore."

"Speaking of the precog club," Saturn interjected, "there's Minako, so where's Setsuna?"

Venus was sprinting toward them, shouting something that was lost in the cacophony of battle noise.

"What's she saying?" Uranus asked.

"Shush, I can't hear it either." Neptune answered

"Why doesn't she just use the communicator?" Mars sighed.

"Too easy." Saturn replied.

By that point, Venus had arrived, slightly breathless. "She's going to kill him!"

"Who?" Uranus posed.

"Mad Scientist of course!" Venus said, grabbing a startled Uranus by the shoulders.

"No, who's going to be killing him?" Uranus responded, slightly taken back by the intensity.

"Setsuna!" Venus said, shaking Uranus.

"Setsuna?" Neptune replied with a blink, "Minako, I hardly doubt Setsuna aims to kill him."

Venus's eyes landed on Neptune, "Oh hey there Michiru-chan! When did you show up?"

"Just a little while ago and Makoto too." Neptune responded, gesturing toward the preoccupied Jupiter.

Venus glanced at Jupiter and Uranus took the moment to get away from her steely grip. "Hi Mako-chan!"

Jupiter waved in her direction, her attention remaining on Mercury and the battle of knowledge laying carnage before her.

Venus shook her head, snapping out of the friendly greetings, "But Setsuna's going to kill him! Where is she?"

Uranus frowned, pondering this, "Hmm…well, there were awful lot of giant cockroaches."

"Ah, I had forgotten about them." Neptune replied.

"How could you forget about them?" Uranus asked skeptically.

"I don't know. Maybe it had a little something to do with the deadly, monstrous sea cucumbers." Neptune said icily.

"Did you think maybe that's why I didn't tell you about the battle? Or the multiple sea cucumbers?" Uranus shot back, crossing her arms. "We all know that you and Setsuna are the worst off when it comes to our irrational habits and fears."

"Is that right? Irrational?" Neptune said coolly. "Thought I couldn't handle it?"

Uranus was in dangerous territory now, and everyone (except for Jupiter) knew it. Saturn would have loved to have seen Uranus get belittled all of a few minutes ago, but now that her surrogate parents were on the verge of a nasty sounding fight, she regretted it. Luckily, Uranus was saved from having to answer by Jupiter.

"Pluto!"

The train wreck between Uranus and Neptune thankfully stopped before it could ever fully happen as everyone turned to the private battle between Mad Scientist and Sailor Mercury that had now added a third player: Sailor Pluto.

Pluto stood grim-faced between the two, crimson eyes dark and dangerous. Mad Scientist and Mercury had both halted their battle of knowledge in surprise and now silence reigned in the immediate area. The rest of the Senshi waited breathlessly, afraid to make sudden movements as if it might set Pluto off.

Settling her gaze on Mad Scientist, Pluto slowly spoke, "Answer this riddle."

Mad Scientist nodded his fervently, his confidence having disappeared.

"Typically only the living can do this, but when it is whispered and demise stares you in face, you should be quite afraid. What is it?" Pluto said softly.

The Senshi behind Pluto all leaned in to catch her words and then quickly huddled together to confer on the answer. For them, it only took a moment, but Mad Scientist could hardly think straight with those ageless crimson eyes boring into him. Too bad he couldn't remember any of his research right at that moment; it would have helped significantly.

"I…I don't know." Mad Scientist said.

Pluto smiled, "Too bad. Would you like to know the answer?"

"Not particularly, no." He squeaked.

"Dead Scream."

Mad Scientist was sent flying into the air and landed hard meters away, completely unconscious. Pluto eyed his body with distaste. "And that's the difference between you and Ami. She can think on her feet even in the direst of circumstances."

A slow smile grace Mercury's face, "Thank you Setsuna."

"Quite welcome Ami." Pluto replied, a friendly smile dancing across her face.

"Setsuna, I thought for sure you were going to kill him!" Venus shouted, dashing up to Pluto's side. "Mumbling stuff about cockroaches and death and then just disappearing like that."

"Minako."

"What was I suppose to think? I thought you had lost it! I was scared you would do something rash!"

"Minako." Pluto smiled softly. "Be quiet." She quickly pressed her lips against Venus's, startling the other Senshi into silence. She pulled back, staring into Venus's eyes. "Thanks for dealing with all the cockroaches today."

"He, you are very much welcomed." Venus responded goofily.

"Setsuna's turned Minako into a blushing virgin." Uranus smirked, "Never thought I would see that happen."

Neptune shook her head, "You, my love, are incorrigible."

"That's pillow-talk." Uranus replied. She caught Neptune's hand, "Tell me you and Makoto are staying the night."

Neptune looked over to Jupiter who was holding Mercury tightly in one arm while supervising the official arrest of Mad Scientist by the Defense Forces. "Considering the parameters we placed on teleporting and the amount of energy I used today, we have to stay."

"Don't make it sound like such a bad thing." Uranus replied, pulling Neptune close.

Neptune giggled at the response before sighing, "Things are going to be a mess by the time we get back to the Royal Brazilian Empire. We'll probably have to start at the beginning."

"What if I come with you?" Uranus asked seriously. "I can clear my schedule for the next month now."

"It depends." Neptune answered slowly. "I thought we had long gotten over these protection issues. It's not just a matter of physical danger, but you having to accept me taking a lot on all at one time and also dealing with significant threats to my personal safety or the safety of my loved ones all together."

"I just think you deserve better." Uranus said sincerely.

"Haruka, whatever we do, we're doing to bring about a time when there are no worries or sacrifices. First we have to work toward that because it can't happen just like magic." Neptune replied, then added an aside, "Granted, a lot of things have happened just like magic."

Uranus stared at Neptune for a good moment, a curious look upon her face.

"What? What is it? Don't tell me I have a hair out of place after such a little battle." Neptune teased.

Uranus laughed suddenly, and pulled Neptune too her, kissing her soundly. Uranus pulled back, and Neptune's gloved hand came to rest against her cheek. "And what was that all about?"

"You just reminded me of something I said to Serenity yesterday."

Neptune smiled, "Is that right?"

"Yes, and I promise to be on my best behavior in the future if you promise me to not try to reach perfection in taking on everything handed to you."

Saturn unexpectedly interjected, "Don't think you've righted every wrong yet Haruka! I'm heading back to the palace where maybe I can find someone who appreciates the things I care about!"

Neptune leveled a stare at Uranus as Saturn stormed off. "I thought she had grown out of that phase. What did you do?"

"Destroyed a bunch of robots masked as antique lamps." Uranus sighed.

"Ah, well that explains that."

"Michiru." Pluto's voice interrupted as her and Venus approached them.

"Hello Setsuna." Michiru replied, giving Pluto's free hand an affectionate squeeze in greeting. "We clear of cockroaches?"

"For the time being. And sea cucumbers?"

"I hope so."

Pluto eyes shone with relaxation and contentment, "Then all is well."

"Back to the palace everyone?" Venus suggested.

Uranus nodded, before shouting toward a snuggling Jupiter and Mercury, "Come along lovebirds! Let's head back to the palace." She quickly found Mars surveying the damaged battlefield, talking with some of the Defense Force officers. "Rei! Let's go! We need to get you back to Serenity!"

Mars swiveled, turning to Uranus with a cross look upon her face. She bade adieu to the officers and marched down to join the rest of the Senshi. "Will you shut up?" She hissed to Uranus, "Nobody outside the palace needs to know that the queen is having an acknowledged affair."

"Keeping a mistress you mean." Urauns prodded

Neptune sighed, reached up, and smacked Uranus across the head.

"Thank you Michiru." Mars said.

"Anytime Rei, anytime." Neptune replied. She regarded Uranus with an exasperated smile that melted into one of pure affection as Uranus rubbed her head with her hand. With the others carrying on ahead, she pulled Uranus down and kissed the spot of the blow. "Behave yourself." Neptune whispered, catching Uranus's gaze.

There was a moment lost in time as they stared into each others' eyes. Then Michiru quickly closed the distance, pulling Haruka into a passionate kiss. Not all that far away, the wind picked up over the ocean, and a seabreeze ran toward them, passing land, buildings, and people and wrapping them in a refreshing embrace. Slowly Haruka and Michiru separated, and lingered just inches apart.

And Haruka grinned, "Never."

**Fin**

A/N: And that's it. The Seabreeze project is officially closed as of this oneshot. I know I don't get brownie points for the originality of this oneshot's title, but that's okay.

So in this oneshot we also had Makoto/Ami, Minako/Setsuna, Usagi/Mamoru, and Usagi/Rei.

The random questions I had Mad Scientist and Ami ask each other I pulled from just briefly surfing Wikipedia. I am in no way a qualified astrophysicist or neurobiologist.

Looking back over Seabreeze, I feel as if I've generally grown as a writer. I'm often embarrassed to get back and look at all the mistakes I've made, but I've been blessed with a lot of great support and reviews. Thank you for reading my work and being patient with updates. I'll be sure to leave a personal response to any reviews or questions you may have following this oneshot.

Thank you everyone and I hope you've enjoyed it.

Yavapai


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